THE TWENTY-EIGHTH CHAPTER
How Apuleius was made a common Asse to fetch home wood, and how he was
handled by a boy.
FTER that I was thus handled by horses, I was brought home againe to
the Mill, but behold fortune (insatiable of my torments) had devised a
new paine for me. I was appointed to bring home wood every day from a
high hill, and who should drive me thither and home again, but a boy
that was the veriest hangman in all the world, who was not contented
with the great travell that I tooke in climbing up the hill, neither
pleased when he saw my hoofe torne and worne away by sharpe flintes, but
he beat me cruelly with a great staffe, insomuch that the marrow of my
bones did ake for woe, for he would strike me continually on the right
hip, and still in one place, whereby he tore my skinne and made of my
wide sore a great hole or trench, or rather a window to looke out at,
and although it runne downe of blood, yet would he not cease beating
me in that place: moreover he laded me with such great burthens of wood
that you would thinke they had been rather prepared for Elephants then
for me, and when he perceived that my wood hanged more on one side then
another, (when he should rather take away the heavy sides, and so ease
me, or else lift them up to make them equall with the other) he laid
great stones upon the weaker side to remedy the matter, yet could be not
be contented with this my great misery and immoderate burthens of wood,
but when hee came to any river (as there were many by the way) he to
save his feete from water, would leape upon my loynes likewise, which
was no small loade upon loade. And if by adversity I had fell downe in
any dirty or myrie place, when he should have pulled me out either with
ropes, or lifted me up by the taile, he would never helpe me, but lay
me on from top to toe
