The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-05-04
Yacob.

poor, and, like most Of the poor boys
of that city, his chief ambition was to
own donkey and hire him out to the
travellers to go to the pyramids and
other places Of interest in the neigh.
borhood of Cairo. As it was he was
only the driver of another mans don.
key; that. is, when the animal was
mounted by the traveller, he ran be-.
hind keeping the animal in a brisk
trot.
One day, while Jacob was standing
in front of Shepherd hotel in Cairo,
wishing he had donkey of his OWL,
an English traveller on the veranda
beckoned to him and asked him why
he looked SO wistful, and Yacob an.
sweyed that he was unhappy because
he had no donkey.
And when the Englishman heard
his story, he called his servant and
told him to bring Mafish, which was
an old, sleepy donkey. Then he said
to YacOb:
"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-I make him 2 present to
you."
When lie said this, the other travel
ers gathered around, with smiles on
their faces, for it appeared that the
Englisman was man much given to
making fun. He told Yacob to get on
the donkey and ride him up and down
in front of the hotel few times, to
show his gait. Yacob got astride of
him, and found that he was stiff in the
legs and moved slowly, notwithstand.
ing the sharp pokes he gave him with
his stick.
II shall give the donkey name that
will draw custom for yOu," said the
Englishman as the lad rode up to the
yeranda.
Yacob was much pleased that his
benefactor should give the donkey a
name, for he had seen some of his
companions who hired their donkeys
more easily than others, on account of
fortunate names given them by travel.
0rS.
II shall he much glad to call him
what my master pleases," said Yacob.
''Theh his name shall be Lighting -
said the Englishman, and the other
travellers laughed.
Yacob did not know what Lightning
meant, and he continued to call his
donkey by that name after the English.
man 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 a
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 hired him
twice.
One day as he led his old donkey tc
the hotel veranda, after being called q
little humbug by an angry traveller,
who refused to pay him for hire fol
half an hour, he was spoken to by q
fat man in long black coat, who told
him he ought to call his donkey Slow.
coach.
After that Yacob called him Slow
coach, not knowing any more about
the name than he did about Lightning
But this change of name, instead OF
mending matters, made them worse
In short, no one would hire his donkey
any more on any condition, and Yacot
and Slow-coach were rueful pair, A.
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 lndies), mounted Slow.coach and
rode him two or three yards, and then
got OIL and took another donkey
Thereupon Yacob bemoaned his bad
luck in hearing of an American sitting
in a tilted chair on the veranla.
"Yacoh,' said the American. .:your
donkey shall be hired as much as any
other, but hereafter his name must he
Prince of Wales.''
Tho, American had a. certificate
drawn up and sworn to before the
American Consul in Cairo, to show
that the Prince of Wales had, without
any doubt, mounted Yacob's donkey
and when theln wanted to hire thu
animal TO any man, woman or chile
from England, all he had to do was t<
show this certificate, and they
straightway engaged him, notwith
standing his moping gait and stiff legs
They engaged him for whole days
fondled him, and begged Yacob not t,
poke him up too sharp from behind