86 THE ASS AND THE TEETOTALLER.

would the creature begin his work, evidently aware that he
was doing wrong. A lock was afterwards put on the door,
which completely defeated the skill of the cunning animal.

 

THE ASS AND THE TEETOTALLER.

THE ass has a memory quite as good as that of the horse.
This was very noticeable in the case of an ass belonging to a
carrier at Wigan.

The ass and his master used to stop at a certain public-
house, where the latter obtained a pot of beer, of which he
always gave the animal a little. At length the master turned
a teetotaller, and of course ceased to stop at the public-house ;
but the ass, whenever he reached the well-known halting-
place, refused to go on, and no beating would make him
stir till he had got his usual drop of beer. The carrier had
therefore to buy some beer for his beast, though he no longer
required it for himself.

Remember what I said before about bad habits. Though
your friends may cease to rebuke you, that is no proof that
you are cured of them, or. that the habits are not as evil as
at the first.

 

THE DONKEY AND HIS MISTRESS.

Donkeys are capable of great affection for those who treat
them well.

An old woman, known to Mrs. F——, had a donkey
that usually grazed on the roadside: near her cottage, and
when he saw any person about to enter her abode, he would