One day address'd him with a "Pr'ythee,
Why dost thou fetch these gew-gaws with thee?
What use can these be to thee?"—"None,"
Quoth the old robber, in a croaking tone,
"But then I take them
You see, to make them
My own."
(Rabner.)
THE GREEN DONKEY
A CERTAIN Simpleton painted his Donkey green—that is, he painted the body green and the legs red—and started to lead him along the street. Every one, young and old, came out to stare. "What a marvel!" cried the whole town, "A grass-green Donkey with scarlet legs! Here is a story to be handed down to our grandchildren as one of the wonders of our generation!" The streets swarmed with the crowds jostling and shoving to get a sight. They filled the windows and thronged the doors: for every one wanted at least to see the Green Donkey even if they could not get a chance to walk beside it.
For the first two days they followed the Donkey, marvelling at him. Even the sick folk forgot their pains when the Green Donkey was talked of. And even the nurses stopped singing children to sleep with "Baa, baa. Black Sheep," but sang instead of Green Donkeys.
But the third day had hardly passed when the novelty of the Green Donkey was over. Everybody had lost all desire to see a painted
