owly through a
lane, just as he turned a corner, he found himself in the middle of the
very troop of boys that he had used so ill in the morning. They all set
up a shout as soon as they saw their enemy in their power without his
dog, and began persecuting him a thousand various ways. Some pulled him
by the hair, others pinched him; some whipped his legs with their
handkerchiefs, while others covered him with handfuls of dirt. In vain
did he attempt to escape; they were still at his heels, and, surrounding
him on every side, continued their persecutions. At length, while he was
in this disagreeable situation, he happened to come up to the same
jackass he had seen in the morning, and, making a sudden spring, jumped
upon his back, hoping by these means to escape. The boys immediately
renewed their shouts, and the ass, who was frightened at the noise,
began galloping with all his might, and presently bore him from the
reach of his enemies. But he had but little reason to rejoice at this
escape, for he found it impossible to stop the animal, and was every
instant afraid of being thrown of and dashed upon the ground. After he
had been thus hurried along a considerable time, the ass on a sudden
stopped short at the door of a cottage, and began kicking and prancing
with so much fury that the little boy was presently thrown to the
ground, and broke his leg in the fall. His cries immediately brought the
family out, among whom was the very little girl he had used so ill in
the morning. But she with the greatest good-nature, seeing him in such a
pitiable situation, assisted in bringing him in, and laying him upon the
bed. There this unfortunate boy had leisure to recollect himself, and
reflect upon his own bad behaviour, which in one day's time had exposed
him to such a variety of misfortunes; and he determined with great
sincerity, that, if ever he recovered from his present accident, he
would be as careful to take every opportunity of doing good, as he had
before been to commit every species of mischief."

When the story was ended, Tommy said it was very surprising to see how
differently the two little boys fared. The one little boy was
good-natured, and therefore everything he met became his friend and
assisted him in return; the other, who was ill-natured, made everything
his enemy, and therefore he met with nothing but misfortunes and
vexations, and nobody seemed to feel any compassion for him, excepting
the poor little girl t