Drawing Water
Some years ago, an ass was employed at Carisbrook Castle, in the Isle of
Wight, in drawing water by a large wheel from a very deep well, supposed
to have been sunk by the Romans. When the keeper wanted water, he would
say to the ass, "Tom, my boy, I want water; get into the wheel, my good
lad;" which Thomas immediately performed with an alacrity and sagacity
that would have done credit to a nobler animal; and no doubt he knew the
precise number of times necessary for the wheel to revolve upon its axis,
to complete his labour, because every time he brought the bucket to the
surface of the well, he constantly stopped and turned round his honest
head to observe the moment when his master laid hold of the bucket to draw
it towards him, because he had then a nice evolution to make, either to
recede or to advance a little. It was pleasing to observe with what
steadiness and regularity the poor animal performed his labour.
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