Donkeys sometimes exert their ingenuity to their own advantage, like
some other creatures.
A certain ass had his quarters in a shed, in front of which was a small
yard. On one side of the yard was a kitchen garden, separated from it
by a wall, in which was a door fastened by two bolts and a latch. The
owner of the premises one morning, in taking a turn round his garden,
observed the footprints of an ass on the walks and beds. "Surely some
one must have left the door open at night," thought the master. He
accordingly took care to see that it was closed. Again, however, he
found that the ass had visited the garden.
The next night, curious to know how this had happened, he watched from a
window overlooking the yard. At first he kept a light burning near him.
The ass, however, remained quietly at his stall. After a time, to
enable him to see the better, he had it removed, when what was his
surprise to see the supposed stupid donkey come out of the shed, go to
the door, and, rearing himself on his hind-legs, unfasten the upper bolt
of the door with his nose. This done, he next withdrew the lower bolt;
then lifted the latch, and walked into the garden. He was not long
engaged in his foraging expedition, and soon returned with a bunch of
carrots in his mouth. Placing them in his shed, he went back and
carefully closed the door, and began at his ease to munch the provender
he had so adroitly got possession of.
The owner, suspecting that people would not believe his story, invited
several of his neighbours to witness the performance of the ass. Not
till the light, however, had been taken away, would the creature
commence his operations, evidently conscious that he was doing wrong. A
lock was afterwards put on the door, which completely baffled the
ingenuity of the cunning animal.