The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-05-04
YACOB AND HIS DONKEY.

YACOB was the name of an Arab boy in
the Oriental city of Cairo. He was poor,
and, like most of the poor boys of that
city, his chief ambition was to own a
donkey and hire him out to the travellers
to go to the pyramids and other places OF
interest 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 be-
hind, poking the quadruped with sharp
stick to keep him in brisk trot.
One day, while Yacob was standing in
front of Shepherds Hotel in Cairo, wish
ing he had donkey Of his own, an En-
glsh traveller on the veranda beckoned to
him and asked him why he looked so
wistful, and Yacob answered 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 up Matish, which was an old
sleepy donkey. Then he said to Iacob:
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 present to you"
When he said this, the other travellers
gathered around, with smiles on their
faces, for it appeared that the Englishman
was man much given to making fun.
He told iacOb to get on the donkey and
ride him up and down in front Of the ho-
tel a few times to show his gait. Iacob
got astride Of him, and found that he was
stiff in the legs and moved slowly, not
withstanding the sharp pokes he gave
him with his stick.
~ shall give the donkey name that
will draw custom for you,' said the En-
glishman, as the lad rodeup to the veranda.
Yacob was much pleased that his bene-
factor 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 to them by travellers.
Il shall be very much glad to call him
what my master r1"non" y "';1 v, "
~ srI'o h;s name shall he IiGhtp'aG'-
elers laughed.
Yacob did not know what Lightning
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 trav-
elers 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 a few
minutes, and the same people never hired
him twice.
One day, as he led his old donkey to-
ward the hotel veranda, after being called
little humbug by an angry traveller, who
refused to pay him for hire of half an
hour, he was spoken to by fat man in
long black coat, who told him he ought
to call his donkey Slow-coach.
After that, Yacob called him Slew
coach, not knowing any more about that
name than he did about Lightning. But
this change of name, instead of mending
matters, made them worse. In short, nc
one would hire his donkey any more on
any condition, and Yacob and Slow coach
were rueful pair, as they stood idly be
fore the hotel.
One day, as he stood thus, the Prince OF
Wales came out from the veranda Ctht
Prince was then on his way to the East
Indies), mounted Slowcoach, and rode
him two or three yards, and then got OF
and took another donkey. Thereupor
Yacob bemoaned his bad luck in the hear
ing of an American sitting on tllte'
char on the veranda.
"Yacob," said the American, YOU
donkey shall be hired as much as any
other. but hereafter his name must be th
Prince of Wales"
The American had certificate drawn
nm and sworn to before the American Con
sui in Cairo, to show that the Prince o
Wales had, without any doubt, mounte'
Yacob's donkey; and when the lad wante'
to hire the animal to any man, woman o
child from England, all he had to do wa
to show this certificate, and they straight
way engaged him, Notwithstanding hi
moping gait and stiff legs. They en-
gagged him for whole days, fondled him
and begged Yacob not to poke him up to
sharp from behind. They fed him wit
whatever he would eat, and the only draw
back to the donkey's pleasant life wa
that his tail was plucked a good deal ft
mementos.
Yacob said, and says still, that the luci
lest day of his life was when he WI
spoken to by the American gentleman O
a tilted chair.-Albert Rhodes, IN 81. N ac'
oIos for MdY.