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relations, an ear for the difference between these two
sounds will stand the unicorn seeker in good stead.
With its lingering echoes, vocalized unicorn laughter
may be heard up to three miles away. Its tone varies:
strangely playful
like chuckles from within a hall of mirrors
silvery, like tinkling wind chimes or breaking glass
primal, perhaps even eerie
rich and warm
high-pitched, piercing
low whinnying
dry
like wet pebbles tumbling down a hillside
joyful, ebullient
deep growling or snarling
staccato
mocking
spontaneous
wild and wonderful
bubbling over, as if water has gone up one's nose
hollow moaning
rapid fire barking
Voiceless unicorn laughter is akin to Franz Kafka's
description of "the sort of laughter that can be
produced without lungs. It sounds something like
the rustling of fallen leaves" ("A Country Doctor,"
1919). Like the bonobo, voiceless unicorn laughter
"sounds like the laughter of someone who has
laughed so hard that he has run out of air but can't
stop laughing anyway" (Sue Savage-Rumbaugh and
Roger Lewin, Kanzi, 1996).