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you enjoy, and the little Labour that’s requir’d of you. You are carefully rubb’d down and waſh’d, you have well-dreſt Corn, and freſh clean Water. Your greateſt Buſineſs is to carry the Merchant our Maſter, when he has any little Journey to make, and were it not for that you would be perfectly idie. I am treated in a quite different Manner, and my Condition is as unfortunate, as yours is pleaſant. It’s ſcarce Day-light when i am faſten’d to a Plow, and there they make me work till Night, to till up the Ground; which fatigues me ſo, that ſometimes my Strength fails me. Beſides, the Labourer, who is always behind me, beats me continually, By drawing the Plow, my Tail is all flea’d; and in ſhort, after having laboured from Morning till Night, when I am brought in, they give me nothing to eat but ſorry dry Beans, not ſo much as cleans’d from Sand, or other things as pernicious; and to heighten my Miſery, when have fill’d my Belly with ſuch ordinary Stuff, I am forc’d to lie all Night in my own Dung; that you ſee I have reaſon to envy your Lor.
The Aſ6 did not interrupt the Ox, till he had ſaid all that he had a mind to ſay; but when he had made an end, he anſwer’d, they that call you a fooliſh Beaſt don’t lye; you are too ſimple, you let them carry you whither they pleaſe, and ſhew no manner of Reſolution. In the mean time, what Advantage do you reap by all the Indignities you ſuffer? You kill yourſelf tor the Eaſe, Pleaſure and Profit of thoſe that give you no thanks for ſo doing. But they would not treat you ſo, if you had as much Courage as Strength.
When they come to faſten you to the Stall, why don’t you make Reſiſtance? why don’t you ſtrike them with your Horns, and ſhew that you are angry, by ſtriking your Foot againſt the Ground? And in ſhort, why don’t you frighten them by bellowing aloud? Nature has furniſh’d you with means to procure you Reſpect, but you don’t make uſe of them. They bring you ſorry Beans, and bad Straw; eat none of ’em, only ſmell to ’em and leave ’em. If you follow the Advice I give you, you will quickly find a Change, for which you will thank, me. The Ox took the Aſs’s Advice in very good part, anown’d he was verymuch
