en, I will surely throw him out upon the
mountaine to be a pray for wild beasts: While these gentlemen reasoned
together of my death, we fortuned to come home, for the feare that I was
in, caused my feet to turne into wings: after that we were discharged
of our burthens, they went to their fellowes that were wounded, and
told them of our great tardity and slownesse by the way, neither was I
brought into small anguish, when I perceived my death prepared before
my face: Why standest thou still Lucius? Why dost thou not looke for
thy death? Knowst thou not that the theeves have ordained to slay thee?
seest thou not these sharpe and pointed flints which shall bruise and
teare thee in peeces, if by adventure thou happen upon them? Thy gentle
Magitian hath not onely given thee the shape and travell of an Asse, but
also a skinne so soft and tender as it were a swallow: why dost thou not
take courage and runne away to save thy selfe? Art thou afraid of the
old woman more then halfe dead, whom with a stripe of thy heele thou
maist easily dispatch? But whither shall I fly? What lodging shall I
seek? See my Assy cogitation. Who is he that passeth by the way and
will not take me up? While I devised these things, I brake the halter
wherewith I was tyed and ran away with all my force, howbeit I could not
escape the kitish eyes of the old woman, for shee ran after me, and with
more audacity then becommeth her kind age, caught me by the halter and
thought to pull me home: but I not forgetting the cruell purpose of the
theeves, was mooved with small pity, for I kicked her with my hinder
heeles to the ground and had welnigh slaine her, who (although shee was
throwne and hurled downe) yet shee held still the halter, and would not
let me goe; then shee cryed with a loud voyce and called for succour,
but she little prevayled, because there was no person that heard her,
save onely the captive gentlewoman, who hearing the voice of the old
woman, came out to see what the matter was, and perceiving her hanging
at the halter, tooke a good courage and wrested it out of her hand, and
(entreating me with gentle words) got upon my backe. Then I began
to runne, and shee gently kicked mee forward, whereof I was nothing
displeased, for I had as great a desire to escape as shee: insomuch
that I seemed to scowre away like a horse. And when the Gentlewoman
did speake, I would answere her with my neighing, and oftentimes (under
colour to rub my backe) I woul