And was I pleased? No, not at all. My pride was hurt. The Squire had been very rude to me; he had actually put men, these stupid men, on a level with an intelligent and right-minded donkey like myself! It was too much! I declined to stay in a place where I was so insulted, and I turned tail and trotted away from such an ignorant set of people.
CHAPTER VI.
Presently I stopped. I was in a meadow. I felt tired and sad. I was just asking myself whether donkeys were not a great deal better than human beings, when a soft little hand touched me, and a soft little voice said:—
“Oh, poor donkey! How thin you are! Perhaps you’ve been badly treated. Come home and see my grandma! She’ll take good care of you.”
I looked round. There stood a nice little boy about five years old; his little sister, who was only three, was running by the side of their nurse.
“What’s that you’re saying, Master Jack?” said the nurse.
“Oh, nursie, I am telling him to come home with us to see grandma.”
“Yes, yes!” cried the little girl, whose name was Janie; “and let me ride on his back. Nurse, up, up!”