When Washington and its chief guardians were more sorely besieged by
office-seekers than by the Confederates, a politician locally important
and generally importunate was sent as a "committee of one" to
headquarters to secure the loaves and fishes for his congeries. But in
about a fortnight this forager came home, full of emptiness. Asked if
he had not seen the President--accounted commonly as only too
accessible--and why he did not get the places, he replied glumly, yet
with a tinge of brightening:
"Yes, I saw the old man. He heard me state my errand, the President
did. He heard me patiently all right enough; and then he said: 'I am
sorry not to have any good offices for you, but--I can give you
something--a good story!'
"And he went on with--
"'Once there was a certain king who kept an astrologer to forewarn him
of coming events, and especially to tell him whether it was going to
rain when he wished to go on hunting expeditions. One day he had
started for the forest with his train of lords and ladies, when he met
a farmer.
"'"Good morning, farmer," said the king.
"'"Good morning, king," said the farmer; "where are you folks going?"
"'"Hunting," said the king.
"'"Hunting! You'll all get wet," said the farmer.
"'The king trusted his astrologer and kept on, but at midday there came
up a tremendous rain that drenched the king and all his party.
"'On getting back to the palace the king had the astrologer
decapitated, and sent for the farmer to take his place.
"'"Law's sakes!" said the farmer, when he arrived, "it ain't me that
knows when it's going to rain, it's my donkey. When it's going to be
fair weather, he always carries his ears forward, so. When it's going
to rain, he puts 'em backward, so."
"'"Make the donkey the court astrologer!" shouted the king.
"'It was done; but the king always declared that that appointment was
the greatest mistake he ever made in his life.'
"Mr. Lincoln stopped there," said the office-seeker.
"'Why did he call it a mistake?" we asked him. 'Didn't the donkey do
his duty?'
"'Yes,' said the President, 'but after that every donkey in the country
wanted an office.'"
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