honey, and then bound
him sure to a fig-tree, where in a rotten stocke a great number of
Pismares had builded their neasts, the Pismares after they had felt the
sweetnesse of the honey came upon his body, and by little and little (in
continuance of time) devoured all his flesh, in such sort, that there
remained on the tree but his bare bones: this was declared unto us by
the inhabitants of the village there, who greatly sorrowed for the death
of this servant: then we avoiding likewise from this dreadfull lodging
incontinently departed away.

THE THIRTY-SIXTH CHAPTER

How Apuleius was cheapned by divers persons, and how they looked in his
mouth to know his age.

After this we came to a faire Citie very populous, where our shepheards
determined to continue, by reason that it seemed a place where they
might live unknowne, far from such as should pursue them, and because it
was a countrey very plentifull of corne and other victuals, where when
we had remained the space of three dayes, and that I poore Asse and
the other horses were fed and kept in the stable to the intent we might
seeme more saleable, we were brought out at length to the market, and
by and by a crier sounded with his horne to notifie that we were to be
sold: all my companion horses were bought up by Gentlemen, but as for
me I stood still forsaken of all men. And when many buiers came by and
looked in my mouth to know mine age, I was so weary with opening my
jawes that at length (unable to endure any longer) when one came with a
stinking paire of hands and grated my gummes with his filthy fingers, I
bit them cleane off, which thing caused the standers by to forsake me as
being a fierce and cruell beast: the crier when he had gotten a hoarse
voice with crying, and saw that no man would buy me, began to mocke
me saying, To what end stand we here with this wilde Asse, this feeble
beast, this slow jade with worne hooves, good for nothing but to make
sives of his skin? Why do we not give him to some body for he earneth
not his hay? In this manner he made all the standers by to laugh
exceedingly, but my evill fortune which was ever so cruell against me,
whom I by travell of so many countreys could in no wise escape, did more
and more envie me, with invention of new meanes to afflict my poore body
in giving me a new Master as spitefull as the rest. There was an old man
somewhat bald, with long and gray haire, one of the number of those that
go from door