THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



49 



mercy of God in placing them at the disposal of man ; 

 but it is more painful still to behold boys who have the 

 advantage of such education, ill-treating them, and to see 

 them mounted on the well-known donkey at the sea-side, 

 kicking it with their heels, and beating it across its sides 

 and back, or even urging the " donkey boy " to " make him 



Fig. 16. 



go faster " by the means which those poor and ignorant 

 boys take namely, striking it or "poking" it with 

 a rough stick. Boys must remember that their having 

 paid for the use of the donkey for the hour, does not give 

 them any further privilege than the fair use of its labour, 

 any more than paying weekly wages gives any master 

 the liberty of beating or ill-using his servants ; and that 

 it is cowardly, and unworthy of the manly character 

 which all boys should endeavour to attain, to illuse the 

 poor dumb animals which are so entirely at our mercy. 

 The Ass is particularly sure-footed, and is, therefore, 



