Chapter X: Good Masters

Left sad and solitary in the field, and suffering from my bitten tail, I was just wondering to myself if donkeys were not better than men, when I felt a soft hand caress me, and heard a voice not less gentle, saying:

“Poor thing! they have been unkind to you, come, poor beast, come go home to grandma’s, she will feed and care for you better than your wicked masters! Poor donkey! how thin you are!”

Turning round, I saw a pretty little boy about five years old, his sister apparently three, and the nurse.

“James,” said Ruth, “what are you saying to this poor donkey?”

“I told it to come home to grandma’s, it is all alone, poor beast!”

“Yes, James, take him; wait, I am going to get on his back. Nurse, nurse, put me on the donkey’s back.”

The nurse put the little girl on my back; James wished to lead me, but had no bridle.

“Wait nurse,” said he, “I am going to tie my handkerchief around his neck.”

Little James tried to do so, but my neck was much too large for his small handkerchief; the nurse gave him hers and it was too small.

“What shall I do nurse?” said he, ready to cry.

“We must get a halter or rope from the village. Come, my little Ruth, get down.”

“No,” said Ruth, clinging to my neck, “I want to stay on the donkey, I want him to take me home.”

“But you have nothing to lead him with; you see he won’t move any more than if he were a stone.”

“Wait nurse, yes he will, I know his name, it is Cadichon, mother Tranchet told me so, I am going to pet and coax him, and I believe he will follow me.”

James came up to me and whispered in my ear. “Go my nice Cadichon, please go.”

This dear little boy’s confidence touched me, I noticed with pleasure, that instead of asking for a stick to make me go, he had thought only of kind and gentle means. So, scarcely had he finished his words and the accompanying caresses, ere I began to move.

“You see nurse, he understands me, he loves me,” exclaimed James, his cheeks flushed, his eyes sparkling with joy, as he ran a little in advance to show me the way.

“As if a donkey could understand anything! he goes because he is tired of standing here.”

“But nurse, he follows me, you see.”

“Because he smells the bread in your pocket.”

“Do you think he is hungry, nurse?”

“Very likely, you see how thin he is.”

“Yes he is, poor Cadichon, and for me not to think of giving him my bread.”

And taking from his pocket the piece of bread intended for his luncheon, he offered it to me.

I was offended at the nurse’s unkind suggestion, and delighted with an opportunity of proving that she had judged me harshly, I followed James and carried Ruth on my back, not from interest at all, but from civility and courtesy.

I refused the offered bread, and contented myself with licking James’s hand.

“Nurse, look! look! he licks my hand,” exclaimed James. “He does not want the bread. Oh! my dear, nice Cadichon, how I love you! You see now nurse, that he follows me because he loves me, and not to get the bread.”

“So much the better for you, if you can believe you have a donkey like one nobody else ever saw, a model donkey. I know they are all headstrong and vicious, and for my part, I do not like them.”

“Oh nurse, poor Cadichon is not vicious, see how good he is to me.”

“And how long will it all last?”

“My Cadichon, you will always be good to me and Ruth, won’t you?” said James, caressing me.

I turned towards him with such a look of affection, that in spite of his tender years, he noticed it; then I cast upon the nurse such a furious glance that she likewise observed it, for she said immediately:

“What a wicked eye! and defiant air! he looks at me as if he wanted to devour me!”

“Oh nurse,” replied James, “how can you say that? he looks at me with such a gentle air, as if he wished to embrace me.”

Both were right, and I had not been misunderstood. I promised myself to be gentle and good to James, Ruth, and all on the place who would be kind to me, and I also made the wicked resolution, of being spiteful and vicious to those who would maltreat or insult me, as the nurse had done. This desire of vengeance, was eventually to cause me much unhappiness.

Talking as they went, we kept on and soon reached their grandmother’s residence.

They left me at the door, where I stood quietly, like a well behaved donkey, not even nibbling the grass that bordered the gravel walks.

In two minutes, James re-appeared, accompanied by his grandmother.

“Come see, grandma, come see how gentle he is, and how he loves me. Do not believe nurse, I beg you,” said James clasping his hands.

“No, grandma, don’t believe it, I entreat you not to believe it,” repeated Ruth.

“Let us see,” said the grandmother smiling, “let us see this famous donkey.”

And coming up to me, she touched me, she caressed me, she took hold of my ears, put her hand to my mouth, I stood very quietly, making not the slightest attempt to bite her, or even get away from her.

“He seems to be very gentle,” she said, “how could you say, Emily, that he had a wicked look?”

“Isn’t he good, grandma, isn’t he? and mustn’t we keep him?” said James.

“My dear little one, I believe he is very good; but how can we keep him, since he is not ours? He must be taken back to his master.”

“He has no master, grandma.”

“We are sure he has no master, grandma,” replied Ruth, who always repeated her brother’s words.

“How is that, it is impossible.”

“It is true, grandma, mother Tranchet told me.”

“Then how did he gain the race prize for her? Since he ran for her, she must have borrowed him from some one.”

“No, Grandma, he came all alone, and wanted to run with the others. Mother Tranchet paid the risk, but she does not own him, he belongs to nobody, it is Cadichon, whose mistress, poor Pauline died; her parents drove him off, and he has lived all winter in the woods.”

“Cadichon! the famous Cadichon who saved his little mistress from the fire? Ah! I am very glad to know him; he is truly an extraordinary and admirable donkey.”

And she walked around me, regarding me attentively. Proud to see my reputation so well established, I reared my head, inflated my nostrils and shook my mane.

“Oh! how thin he is! Poor beast! his devotion met with little recompense,” said the grandmother in a serious manner and tone of reproach. “We will keep him, my child, we will keep him, since he has been abandoned and driven off by those who ought to have cared for and loved him. Call Bouland to put him in the stable and give him a good bed.”

James, delighted, ran to get Bouland, who came immediately.

“Bouland, here is a donkey the children have brought home; take him to the stable and feed and water him,” said the grandmother.

“Must he then be taken to his master?” said Bouland.

“No; he has no master. It appears that he is the famous Cadichon that was driven off after the death of his little mistress. He came to the village and my little children found him abandoned in the field. They brought him home and we are going to keep him.”

“And madam does well to keep him; there is not his equal in all the country. I have heard most wonderful things about him. They say he hears and understands all that is said to him. Let us try him, madam. Come, Cadichon, come get some oats.”

I immediately turned and followed Bouland.

“It is astonishing,” said the grandmother; “he really understood.”

And she went in the house, but James and Ruth accompanied me to the stable. I was placed in a stall, my companions being two horses and a donkey. Bouland, assisted by James, made me a good bed, and then went to get my oats.

“More, more, Bouland; I beg you to give him more,” said James; “he needs a hearty meal, he has run so hard.”

“But, Master James, if you give him too many oats he will get so lively that you and Miss Ruth can’t ride him.”

“Oh! he is such a good donkey, I know we can ride him all the same.”

They gave me an enormous quantity of oats and put a bucket of water beside me. Being thirsty, I first drank a little and then attacked my oats, meanwhile congratulating myself upon having fallen into the hands of this good little James. I also made some reflections upon mother Tranchet’s ingratitude. Then devouring my bundle of hay, I lay down on my straw, and, couched like a king, I slept.