Fifty Famous Fables
How can you ride and make him walk?" So the miller made his son ride on the donkey behind him.

   They were now in town. A man coming down the street called to the miller, "Why do you make your donkey carry such a load? You can carry him better than he can carry you."

   At this the miller and his son got off the donkey. They tied the donkey's legs together, turned him over on his back; and began to carry him.

   A crowd soon gathered to see the strange sight. As they were crossing a bridge the donkey became frightened at the hooting of the crowd. He broke loose, fell into the river, and was drowned.

   The miller was angry and ashamed. He said, "There! I have tried to please everybody and have only made a fool of myself. After this I shall do as I think best and let people say what they will."

   "I am going out to see the world," said a pug puppy.

   He ran down a hill as fast as his wabbly legs could carry him, and looked into a little brook which flowed by.

   "How queer!" he said, "I did not know that puppies live in water. This one looks just like my brothers, but it can not be one of them. They were all asleep when I came away. I will run home to tell mother about it," and up the hill he went as fast as he could carry his fat little body.

   When he arrived at home, he panted out, "Oh, mother! I have found out something that you do not know. There is a pug puppy living in the creek."

   "You are either dreaming, my son, or you have seen your own shadow," said his mother.

   "I know what I saw, mother. I am not dreaming. It was not my shadow. It was a puppy dog," and the little pug barked savagely at his mother. "Come with me, mother. I will show you that I know what I am talking about." So the mother followed her puppy.

   When they came near the foot of the hill, the little pug ran on ahead of his mother and looked into the stream.

   "How lucky!" he said, "he is still here. Now, mother, you see that what I said is true."

   "It is your shadow, little one."

   "No, no, my eyes are better than yours, mother."


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