dam from her young one: He commanded both to be brought; and the little
creature tripped so happily beside its mother, while both enjoyed the
sheltering protection of Him who made the worlds! Yes, I very often
think of this, when I see the cruelties committed on some overworked
animal, in a cart, or ridden by an unfeeling person; and the mischief,
the wicked mischief, that Satan finds for idle hands to do, in the
field, or by the way-side, where the poor ass is quietly nibbling at
such coarse weeds as neither horse, nor cow, nor sheep would touch. The
little foal too, with its innocent face, and broad forehead covered with
shaggy hair, looking as if it longed to have a game of play with you.
Can you put it to pain? Alas! it has a life of cruel labour and
suffering before it: and you should not be so inhuman as to rob it of
its very short time of freedom and repose. Some boys are cruel on
purpose. Satan leads them captive at his will; and if they continue to
do his wicked will, they must expect to be with him for ever in the
place of fire. But many are cruel from thoughtlessness only; and I hope
this little book will lead such to reflect, and to cease from what is a
great sin against God, whether they think it to be so or not.

I have said nothing about the wonderful story of an ass which you will
find in the book of Numbers, chapter xxii.: you can read it for
yourselves. I will finish this subject by giving you a text from the
wise and gracious laws which it pleased the Lord God to lay down for his
people Israel, when he was himself their own King. It is a most
beautiful precept: it teaches at once to overcome an evil feeling
against a fellow-man, and to show mercy to a suffering animal. "If thou
see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest
forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him," Ex. xxiii. 5; and
in the 12th verse we read a reason given for keeping holy and quiet the
Sabbath day, "that thine ox and thine ass may rest."