one:  He commanded both to be brought; and the little creature tripped so happily beside its mother, while both enjoyed the sheltering protection of Him who made the worlds!  Yes, I very often think of this, when I see the cruelties committed on some overworked animal, in a cart, or ridden by an unfeeling person; and the mischief, the wicked mischief, that Satan finds for idle hands to do, in the field, or by the way-side, where the poor ass is quietly nibbling at such coarse weeds as neither horse, nor cow, nor sheep would touch.  The little foal too, with its innocent face, and broad forehead covered with shaggy hair, looking as if it longed to have a game of play with you.  Can you put it to pain?  Alas! it has a life of cruel labour and suffering before it:  and you should not be so inhuman as to rob it of its very short time of freedom and repose.  Some boys are cruel on purpose.  Satan leads them captive at his will; and if they continue to do his wicked will, they must expect to be with him for ever in the place of fire.  But many are cruel from thoughtlessness only; and I hope this little book will lead such to reflect, and to cease from what is a great sin against God, whether they think it to be so or not.

I have said nothing about the wonderful story of an ass which you will find in the book of Numbers, chapter xxii.:  you can read it for yourselves.  I will finish this subject by giving you a text from the wise and gracious laws which it pleased the Lord God to lay down for his people Israel, when he was himself their own King.  It is a most beautiful precept:  it teaches at once to overcome an evil feeling against a fellow-man, and to show mercy to a suffering animal.  “If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him,” Ex. xxiii. 5; and in the 12th verse we read a reason given for keeping holy and quiet the Sabbath day, “that thine ox and thine ass may rest.”

This is a long chapter; but I had a good deal to say in it, and I hope you are not tired, and that you will think it over, and pray God to enable you to profit by it.

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CHAPTER V.

Bears, monkeys, rats.

Now, I think, you are laughing at the heading of this chapter, and wondering what I can have to say about such creatures; but wait a little, and you will find I am not afraid to put in a good word for them.  You must know that I once had a young bear, a mere cub, which was given to me by one of the wild Indians, as they are called.  These Indians, by the way, are not half so wild as some boys of my acquaintance, who are a great deal better taught; and they were very fond of me—­merely because it pleased God to keep me mindful of a gracious command which he has given us.  You will find it in the first Epistle of Peter, chap. ii., verse 17:  “Honour all