The Story of a Donkey

from dying of hunger and thirst. I had plenty of time to think how wicked I’d been; how happy I was until I had given mysel

were walking up and down; everybody had on his Sunday clothes; and, what was stranger still, all the donkeys in the neighborhood seemed t

ll this was about, when suddenly one of the bo

k here! here’s

groomed he is! and how fat and well

e donkey race,” said a third, “bu

d personal remarks; but I thought I should enj

o run?” asked an old da

the mill,” said

s are there?” as

ne that comes in first will win a

h I had a donkey. I should so like to have a

as not too fat, as some of these prize donkeys were; and so I would take part in the race. I trotted up to the

ey, you just stop that music, will you? and get out of there! You can

inch. Some laughed, and others were ge

s. I take him into my service from th

nly if you want him to run, you’ve got to put

she hobbled off to where the Squire was sit

Squire; “put Mrs. Evan

dow. The Squire said, “One, two, three, and away!” the boys who held the donkeys let th

ould beat them all now, at any rate, and I flew along as if I had wings. I passed proudly before the winning-post,

ahead

ahead o

s, who was almost beside herself with delight, stroked and patted

and he was just going to hand the watc

ey doesn’t really belong to Mother Evans any more than it does to us! Our donkeys really

er quarter into the b

worship, s

to her doing so at the

your wors

tion when the donkeys we

no, sir

fectly fair, and Mrs. Evans ge

isn’t fair, it

h and bag in my teeth, put them into Mother Evans’s hands. This intelligent action

Mother Evans; and,” he added, with a smile, looking at Bill

ll sides. And every one began to35 laugh at Andrew an

e stupid men, on a level with an intelligent and right-minded donkey like myself! It was too much! I declined to stay in