ASSES. 271 



He drew back immediately, and seemed for a moment at 

 a loss how to get on. Close to these planks a cart-load 

 of sand had been placed. He put his fore-feet on this, 

 and looked wistfully to the other side ot the drain. 



' The boy who attended this horse, and who had gone 

 round by another path, seeing him stand there, called 

 him. The horse immediately turned round and set 

 about scraping the sand most vigorously, first with one 

 hind-foot, then with the other. The boy, perhaps won- 

 dering what he was going to do, waited to see. When 

 the planks were completely covered with sand, the 

 horse turned round again, unhesitatingly walked over, 

 and trotted up to his stable and driver.' 



ASSES. 



ALTHOUGH far from equalling the horse in grace or 

 beauty, the Ass, in his wild condition, is a handsome, 

 swift, and powerful animal ; so different to the degene- 

 rated, ill-used, and scrubby creatures of this country, 

 that they would scarcely be recognised as belonging to 

 the same stock, if placed side by side. In Spain and 

 other parts of Southern Europe, and the Cape de Verde 

 Islands, they are very superior ; but they are even 

 surpassed by those of the East. All acquainted with 

 Scripture know the importance formerly attached to 

 them, when the wisest and best of the land rode in state 

 upon white asses. It will also be recollected that the 

 Israelites were at first forbidden to use horses, and the 

 places of the latter were then supplied by asses. From 

 the time, however, that the finer animals became com- 

 mon, asses seem to have fallen into disrepute ; and we 



