The Story of a Donkey

me out to the children in the neighborhood. She was not well off, and on the d

re not always good to me, as t

ngest and one of the most beautiful. Three little girls brought

r donkeys. I’ll begin by taking this

k is the best,” said the six childr

oline? Can we put the donkeys in a

s if one could not number them 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Put

hers. “Ernest, make the number slips while

stead of giving themselves the trouble of writing the numbers on our backs, they woul

flank; while he was writing 2 on that of my comrade, I shook myself to show him that his inventio

the 2 gone. Then Anthony began to get angry, and the others laughed and teased him. I made a sign to my comrades to let them go

disappeared and all must be done over again! The children were angry; Charles was triumphant and sneering; Ernest, Albert, Caroline, Cecil

aced along

laced alon

o!” said Cecil. It was one of my friends. “Three!” said Anthony, and so on until the last donkey was drawn. “Now, let us go,” said Charles; “I will start first.” “Oh! I shall catch up with you,” quickly answered Ernest. “I’ll wager you won’t,

ly. Ernest had no need to beat me; I ran like the wind, and passed Cha

a bridge, where I stopped suddenly, for I saw that one of the large boards of the bridge was rotten. I did n

his stick, but I continued to walk towards the others. “Obstinate, stupid brute! will you turn round and18 cross the b

ss Charles.” “I beat him because he would not cross the bridge,” said Ernest; “he took it into his head to turn back

with joy. I galloped to the bridge, but as soon as I got there, I stopped suddenly as if I were afraid. Ernest was astonished, and urged me to go on. I drew back with a frightened look which still more surprised Ernest. The silly fellow saw nothing:

stubborn, that when you want them to go19 backwards the

which they all beat me at once, but

“I will go over first; your do

across the entrance to the bridge.

drown himself, let him. I did what I could to save

n the rotten board than it broke, and the

y comrade, because, like

screamed and ran here and there. At last Caroline found a long stick, picked it up and gave

ked from head to foot. When20 he was safe the children began to laugh at his doleful appearance. Charles growing angry, the children jumped upon their do

e, and his furious look made him a thoroughly comical sight. The children laughed; my comrades jumped and ran to express their joy

ades were calmed down. Every21 one stroked me and admired my

oldier, came home from the army and bought a house in town. His mother and his litt