JACK AND JERRY.
From the heading of this page you would scarcely know which I call my little friend—Jack the boy, or Jerry the donkey. Friends of mine indeed they both are; but I think I am fond of Jerry chiefly on account of the love he bears his little master.
Jack is the oldest of a large family of boys and girls; he is only ten years of age, but there are six other children, all younger than he is. On his fifth birthday he had a rocking-horse given him: it came down from London, for Jack’s home is far away in the country. How delighted the little boy was when the horse stood in the hall, covered up with thick brown paper! He knew it was addressed to him, for he could already read writing when it was large. Then, as the brown paper was taken off, what a jumping and shouting there was: for the other little ones had come down from the nursery to see the gee-gee.
You all know what a large handsome rocking-horse is like, so I need not describe it; and you can imagine what a deal of amusement and pleasure it afforded Jack for a while. However, as time went on, fresh little brothers and sisters arrived quickly; and each in turn, as he or she grew old enough, began to take delight in the gee-gee; until at last my friend Jack scarcely ever had the chance of a ride. And I must say the poor horse looked old and battered, and very different from what it had looked when only used by my little friend.
One day he said to me sadly:—“You see I am getting big for it now, and there are so many of the little ones to ride, so I give it up: the poor gee-gee is worked hard enough as it is.”
Jack was always willing to let the children ride his horse, but, worn and damaged though it was, he could not bear to see them ill-use it. I have noticed the child wince as if with pain, when his sturdy brother Maurice made a great piece of paint drop off with a heavy crack from his whip. “If the boy is so sensitive about a rocking-horse,” thought I, “how careful and kind he would be, if he had a real pony or donkey.”
When I proposed to give Jack a pony, his mamma said she thought he was not old enough to ride one yet, and seemed nervous about it, so I made up my mind that a donkey it should be. I made inquiries, and soon found a dear little creature, which I thought so pretty that I bought it at once. It was very young, and had never before left its mother. Jack named it Jerry: he took such care of it, and made such a pet of the little animal, that it would come at his call, and follow him about, and obey him, just like a large dog.
I remember one day, when we were all sitting at lunch, we heard, patter, patter, patter on the floorcloth of the hall. Presently the door, which was not closed, opened a little way. A soft mouse-coloured nose presented itself, followed by a rough hairy face, with a pair of soft full bright eyes, and after these came two long ears; then the whole of Master Jerry’s head looked round the corner at us. We all burst out laughing, as you may easily suppose; when the donkey, thinking to join in the merriment, put up his head, and raised such a “Heehaw! heehaw!” that we were obliged to clap our hands over our ears, and the whole house, I may almost say the neighbourhood, rang with the sound.
As soon as Jerry was big and strong enough to be ridden, I made Jack a present of a bridle and saddle. He used to ride about in the park and lanes; but when they came home, Jack never forgot to give Jerry a few fresh carrots, or something nice, as you see him doing in the picture.
