Old Mister Mallard, Part 1

Old Mister Mallard usually rode his donkey when he went to the market, but, recently, the grey beast has been acting strangely. Unbeknownst to Old Mister Mallard, his mount is actually stuck in a debilitating mental state of unmitigated awe and wonder, a byproduct of an extra-dimensional virus that's transforming it's face and causing it to drool a splashing, iridescent liquid. Old Mister Mallard's powers of perception are such that he just assumes that his pet is having an "off-day."