It is useless to attempt to gain the good-will of suspicious characters.
[Illustration: The Tiger and the Deer.]
The Old Man, His Son and the Ass.
An old man and his little boy were once driving an ass to the market-place.
"What's the matter with one of you riding?" said a passer-by. So the man
put his boy on the ass and they went on. The next person they met said it
was a shame to see a boy ride while an old man walked. The man lifted the
boy off and got on himself. This also excited adverse comment, and the man
took the boy up behind him. The next critic was a member of the S.P.C.A.,
and he upbraided them both roundly, saying that they would better carry the
ass than he them. Thereupon they tied the ass's legs to a long pole and
carried him between them. While crossing the bridge, into the town, the
man stumbled and the ass fell into the water and was drowned. They
promptly sued the city for damages, and compromised on $263, more than
eight times the value of the ass.