Adventures of a donkey

"Adventures of a donkey" by Ségur and P. S. is a children's novel written in the late 19th century. Told in the witty first-person voice of Cadichon, a clever, proud donkey, it follows his mishaps and heroics as he moves between masters and outwits humans. The episodic tale argues against the old slurs on donkeys by showcasing their intelligence, loyalty, and heart. The opening of the story presents Cadichon’s purpose—defending donkeys’ good name—then launches into his early life of abuse hauling market loads, his daring escape, and a hound-led pursuit he cleverly evades. He finds kind shelter with a poor grandmother and her grandson George and soon proves his sense: refusing a rotten-planked bridge, he prevents an accident; in a cemetery he helps children rescue an abandoned toddler who drinks from a faithful goat. After a mischievous spell with a new farmer—hiding in a briar ditch to skip market—he is sold to gentle Pauline; a quarrel over a locket strains her home, but when fire breaks out Cadichon drags her through vaults to safety, though she later dies of illness. Wandering, he wins a village donkey race for cheerful mother Tranchet, is forgotten in the celebration, then is found and cherished by siblings James and Ruth, who overfeed him into a brief sickness. On a family outing to the ruins of a convent, robbers spirit away the tethered donkeys, but Cadichon blocks the children from danger and later guides soldiers to the hidden vaults, luring thieves out one by one until several are captured, just as the gang sets the underground passages ablaze.

Adventures of a donkey, by comtesse de Sophie Ségur. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #78917.