Another humorous scene sometimes enacted by the mules is a prize fight, the principals being rigged up in costume and furnished with boxing gloves, while two small donkeys are made to seat themselves and hold sponges, as though personating the seconds. Sometimes this latter character is assumed by the clown and ring-master, though it makes little difference. The actions of the mules have a very slight resemblance to a combat and the costumes make them look funny and satisfy the audience. The training required is merely to make them stand erect.
AN ASININE PRIZE FIGHT.
Mules, though possessing less intelligence than horses, may be taught many of the tricks which the latter perform, and the same instructions will suffice for training them.
The sure-footedness of mules has enabled trainers to teach them, in several cases, a very effective and showy trick—that of walking over a number of empty bottles placed upright on a floor or platform. This feat is always highly successful wherever performed, and it is really an excellent one. The bottles used are large, stout porter bottles, which will readily sustain a great weight if placed directly on top. To teach the trick the bottles are at first secured in a platform composed of a double thickness of planks, in the upper one of which holes are cut. In these holes the bottles are placed; the bottoms resting on the lower layer of planks, while the upper one holds them securely in place.
Before teaching this trick the animal is usually taught the ordinary pedestal trick, as explained in a preceding chapter, as a preparatory lesson. He will then more readily acquire the bottle feat. He is first made to place one fore foot on top of a bottle’s neck, then the other fore foot on another. Then the first foot is tapped with the whip to make him raise it and advance it to the succeeding bottle; as he does this his hind foot is struck gently to force him to place it on the vacated bottle. Six or eight bottles are sufficient to commence with, additions being made as the animal becomes proficient. When the trick is learned it is unnecessary to secure the bottles in any way; if the mule places his foot squarely on the top, as he should be made to do, there is no danger of either breaking or upsetting them.
THE PORTER BOTTLE FEAT.
There is a trick related of a couple of English costermongers, or perambulating vegetable dealers, which is amusing if not of practical value. These two worthies were in the habit of passing their donkey through a Devonshire toll gate, on their return trip, free of charge, by making him walk through on his hind legs, arm in arm with them, and taking advantage of the twilight to represent him as a friend slightly under the influence of liquor!
At the south, where mules are almost universally used for many purposes for which horses are used at the north, the negroes are in the habit of directing their movements in many cases entirely by the voice. The animals of that section being as a rule more gently treated, are of a better disposition than their northern brethren. The course of training practiced by their stable masters is by no means systematic, but the animals manage by some means to learn to understand and obey the far from lucid commands. We have often been surprised to see how readily the mules would detect the meaning of what, to our ears, was entirely unintelligible. Probably practice had taught them what was required just as the mules which convey travelers through the wild mountain passes of Spain are reported to stop immediately upon hearing the hail of any of the banditti who infest those regions—habitual experience of the customs of those gentry having taught them to come to a stand still.