Cobwebs from an Empty Skull

A man who was very much annoyed by the incursions of a lean ass belonging to his neighbour, resolved to compass the destruction of the invader.

“Now,” said he, “if this animal shall choose to starve himself to death in the midst of plenty, the law will not hold me guilty of his blood.  I have read of a trick which I think will ‘fix’ him.”

So he took two bales of his best hay, and placed them in a distant field, about forty cubits apart.  By means of a little salt he then enticed the ass in, and coaxed him between the bundles.

“There, fiend!” said he, with a diabolic grin, as he walked away delighted with the success of his stratagem, “now hesitate which bundle of hay to attack first, until you starve—­monster!”

Some weeks afterwards he returned with a wagon to convey back the bundles of hay.  There wasn’t any hay, but the wagon was useful for returning to his owner that unfortunate ass—­who was too fat to walk.

This ought to show any one the folly of relying upon the teaching of obscure and inferior authors.[A]

[Footnote A:  It is to be wished our author had not laid himself open to the imputation of having perverted, if not actually invented, some of his facts, for the unworthy purpose of bringing a deserving rival into disfavour.—­TRANSLATOR.]