The daily gazette., 1876-05-05
Yacob and his Donkey,

IVY III OAlOut"i W. VI OoiiO' S
was poor, and like most of the poor
boys of that city, his cheif ambition
was to own donkey and hire him
out to the travellers to go to the
pyramids and other places of inter
est in the neighborhood of Cairo.
AS it was, he was only the driver
of another mans donkey; that is,
when the animal was mounted by
the traveller, he ran behind, doking
the quadruped with a sharp stick
to keep him in a brisk trot.
One day, while Yscob was stand
ing in front of Shepherds Hotel
in Cairo, wishing he had donkey
of his own, an English traveller on
the yerands beckoned to him and
asked him why he looked so wist-
full, aud Yacob answered that he
was unhappy because he had no
doakey.
And when the EDglishman heard
his story, he called his servant
and told him to bring up Mafish,
which was an old sleepy donkey.
Then he said toYacob.
Would you be happy if you
owned that donkey, my lad?'
"Oh, master, | would be happy
with any donkey" said Yacob.
Then" said the Englishman,
''he is yours-l make him present
to you
When he said this, the other
travellers gathered around, with
smiles on their faces, for it appeard
that the Fnglishman was u man
much given to to making fun. He
told lacob to get on the donkey
and ride him up and down in front
Of the hotel IL few times, to show
his gait. Yacob got astride of him,
and found that he was stiff in the
legs and moved slowly, not with
standing the sharp pokes he gave
him with his stick.
II shall give the donkey name
that will draw custum for you, "said
the Englis I'm N as the lad rode up
to the veranda.
Yacob was much pleased that his
benefactor should give the donkey
name, for he had seen some of his
companions who hired their don
keys more easily than others, on
account of fortunate names given
to them by travellers.
! Il shall be much glad to call
him what my master pleases," said
Yacob,
Then his name shall be Light
ming said the Englishman. and the
travellers laughed.
Yacob did NOT know what Light
ming meant, and he continued to
call his donkey by that name after
the Englishman went away. He did
not have much difficulty in hiring
his donkey; but when the travellers
started on their journey, they told
Yacob he was humbug, and that
he had imposed on them with his
animal. SO that they only kept
Lightning for few minutes, and
the same people never bired him
twice.
One day, as he led his donkey
toward the hotel veranda, after be-
ing called little humbug by an
angry traveller, Who refused to paw
him for half an hour, he was spoken
to by fat man in long black
coat. who told him he ought to call
his donkey Slow-ccaeh.
After that, Yacob called him
Slow-ceach not kno wing any more
about that name than he did about
Lightning. But this charge of name
lnstead OF mending matters. made
them worse. In short, no one would
hire his donkey any more on any
condition, and Yacob and Slow
coach We're a rueful pair, as they
stood idly before the hotel.
One day, as he stood thus, the
Prince of Wales came out from the
veranda (the prince was then on
his way to the East Indies) }, noun
ted Slow-coach, and rode him two
or three yards. and then got off and
took another donkey. There upon
lacob bemoaned his bad luck in
hearing of an American sitting on
a tilted chair on the veranda.
"Yacob,' said the American. =
lyour donkey shall be hired as much
as any other, but hereafter his name
must be the Prince of Walcs.n
| The American had a certificate
drawn up and sworn to before the
American Consul in Cairo to show
that the Prince of Wales had, with
out any doubt, mounted Yacoo's
donkey; and when the lad wanted
to hire the animal to any man