Early on Tuesday morning the farmer's wife put all her eggs, butter, and vegetables into large baskets, and tied them to my saddle. Then she climbed up and sat on top of the load.

My mistress liked to reach the market early. My poor thin legs went as fast as they could, but she beat me with a hard stick to make me go faster.

This was cruel and it made me angry. I tried to kick and throw her off, but the load was too heavy. I could only wobble from one side of the road to the other. Then my mistress would beat me again.

One day after a hard journey we reached the market. The farmer's wife took the baskets from my back and stood them on the ground. She tied me to a post, and then hurried away to get her dinner.

NEDDY EATS THE VEGETABLES

I also was hungry and thirsty, but no one thought of giving me fresh grass or cool water. So I pulled at my rope. It stretched a little and at last I could just reach the basket of vegetables. Then I had a fine dinner of cabbages and lettuce.

After a while my mistress came back. When she saw the empty basket, she knew I had eaten the vegetables. She was very angry, so she called me bad names, and began to beat me.

When I could bear it no longer, I kicked her so hard that she fell flat upon the ground.

She called for help and men came running from everywhere. They carried her away but left me tied to the post. They seemed to forget that I was there, so I broke the rope and started for home.

"He has run away," said one.
"He has no load upon his back," said

another.

third.

"He has done some harm,

"' said a

"Let us catch him, said a woman to her husband. "We will put our little boy upon his back.

"He will carry you both, said the husband.

I wanted them to know that I was kind and willing. So I came close to them and stood still. Then the man helped the woman and the child to the saddle.

"He seems to be a kind donkey," said he.

I wished to tell him that donkeys are always kind when they are treated kindly. But I only brayed "Hee-haw! hee-haw!"

WHY NEDDY GOES HOME

I carried the woman and the child to

their home. They were were pleased and wanted to keep me, but I thought it would not be honest to stay with them. My mistress was cruel to me, but I had hurt her, too. So I ran home as fast as I could.

My mistress's little daughter Mary saw me coming. She said, "Neddy is early to-day. Jim, go and take off his

saddle."

"He has run away from mother,' said Jim.

Jim took off my saddle and led me to the pasture. Then he went back to the house.

Soon some men brought my mistress home. I listened to hear what they said. I heard Jim say, "Father, I shall beat