1.Have you ever heard a donkey bray？What a noise he makes！Even if you have not heard one，I am sure that you have all seen a donkey，and perhaps some of you have ridden one at the seaside on a holiday.The animal which we call the ass or donkey looks somewhat like the horse，but it is much smaller.It is covered with grey hair，and you may notice a long dark stripe running along the spine or back-bone，and a shorter stripe across the shoulders.
2.The donkey has long ears，which it lays backwards when it is angry.Its tail is somewhat like that of the cow；it is covered with short hairs，and has a tuft of long hairs at the end.The donkey finds its tail very useful for driving away the flies.
3.Along the top of its neck it has a short mane①.The manestands upright，and does not fall down over its neck like that of the horse.The donkey has two large，bright eyes，and two nostrils placed just above the mouth.
4.If we look inside the donkey’s mouth，we shall find that the teeth are very much like those of the horse.In the front of the mouth there are six chisel-shaped②teeth in each jaw，with which①Mane，the long hair on the necks of some animals.
②Chisel，a tool with a sharp edge for cutting wood，etc.
the donkey bites or cuts off its food；and at the back of the mouth there are six flat-topped teeth in each jaw at each side，with which it grinds its food to small pieces before swallowing it.Thedonkey lives on vegetable food①only，and it eats grass，hay，oats，and even thistles.
5.There is a clear space in the jaws between the front and the back teeth，and into this space we put the steel bit to which the reins are fastened when we drive or ride the donkey.
6.Each of the donkey‘s four feet consists of a single large，strong toe，which is protected by a horny covering or nail called the hoof.The hoof alone would wear away too quickly on the stony roads over which the donkey has to walk in our country；so the blacksmith fastens plates of iron，which we may call “donkey-shoes，”to its hoofs.They are of the same shape as horses-hoes，but are a good deal smaller.
①Vegetable food，plants.
7.The donkey is an extremely useful animal.It costs much less than a horse，and it is very hardy，strong，and sure-footed.Many people think that a donkey is a very stupid creature，but this is a great mistake.When it is worked too hard，badly treated，andbadly fed，the donkey becomes both stubborn①and stupid；butif any other animal were treated in that way，it would do just the same.
8.Any boy or girl who has a pet donkey to ride will find that the donkey can be both clever and patient②，as well as loving and good.But to get the donkey to do its best for us，we must be very kind to it.
9.Any one who ill-uses a dumb animal must be either ignorant or wicked，or perhaps both.People who beat and ill-treat the donkey or any other animal can now be punished either byhaving to pay a fine③or by being put into prison.
SUMMARY
The donkey is somewhat like the horse，but much smaller.Its hair is grey，with a dark stripe running down the spine and across the shoulders.It has long ears，a tufted tail，and a short mane.In the front of its mouth are six chisel-shaped cutting teeth in each jaw，and at the back of its mouth are six flat-topped grinding teeth in each jaw at each side.The foot consists of a large strong toe，protected by a hoof，to which iron shoes are fastened.The ass is very useful，costs less than a horse，and is very hardy，strong，and sure-footed.
【中文阅读】
1．你有没有听到过驴①叫？那种声音可真不是一般的洪亮啊！即便你没有听到过驴叫，那么我肯定，你绝对看到过这种动物，有些人可能在海边度假的①Stubborn，not easily made to move.
②Patient，long-suffering；not easily made angry.
③Fine，a payment of money ordered by a court of law as a punishment for wrong-doing.
时候还骑过毛驴呢。这种被称作驴子的动物样子与马有几分相似，但是体型较小。它身披灰毛，你可能还会注意到，它的脊椎或脊梁处有一条深色的条纹，另外还有一条较短的条纹贯穿双肩。
2．驴子的耳朵很长，当它生气的时候耳朵便会向后伸展。它的尾巴跟牛尾很像，上面长满了短毛，而尾部则是一簇长毛。当驴子想要驱赶蚊蝇的时候，它们的尾巴就能够派上大用场。
3．驴子的颈部顶端长有粗短的鬃毛。与马不同，驴子的鬃毛是直立的，不会垂下遮挡住颈部。驴子的双眼又大又亮，两个鼻孔位于嘴巴正上方。
4．我们观察驴子嘴巴的内部结构，就会发现，它们的牙齿与马的牙齿非常相似。驴子嘴巴前部的上下腭都长有六颗凿子状牙齿，通过这些牙齿，它们就能够撕咬与切断食物；再来看驴子嘴巴的后部，那里的上下腭每一侧则分布着六颗平顶的牙齿，它们正是利用这些牙齿对食物进行碾磨，然后再吞入胃中。驴子是纯粹的草食动物，它们吃的是青草、干草、燕麦，甚至蓟②种植物。
5．在驴子前后牙齿之间的腭部有一片空白区域，我们将铁制马嚼子放进这里，在马嚼子上拴上缰绳，这样就可以骑驴或赶驴了。
6．驴子的四个足上分别长有一个强壮的大脚趾，外面则包裹着一层名叫蹄子的角质结构或指甲，能够对脚趾起到保护作用。我们国家的道路是石头铺的，而驴子们则需要不停跋涉，如果只是依靠这些蹄子，那么它们将很快磨平；于是，铁匠们把铁板（我们可以称之为“驴蹄铁”）固定在它们的蹄子上。这些铁板与马蹄铁形状一样，只是小得多。
7．驴子是一种非常有用的动物。它们比马要便宜很多，而且它们吃苦耐劳、强壮有力并且脚踏实地。很多人觉得驴子很笨，实际上，这是一种错误观点。它们辛勤劳作，但却总是遭到粗鲁的对待，伙食情况也非常恶劣。在这种情况下，驴子就会变得顽固且迟钝；然而，如果总是承受这样的悲惨生活，那么任何动物都会变得像驴子一样。
8．如果哪位小朋友能够拥有一头宠物驴，就会发现，驴子聪明异常、吃苦耐劳、讨人喜欢并且善良可靠。不过，为了充分发挥驴子的作用，我们必须善待它们。
9．虐待这样一种老实的动物不是愚蠢就是邪恶，或许既愚蠢又邪恶吧。如今，殴打与虐待驴子或其他动物的人都会受到罚款或入狱的惩罚③。
译注
①驴：驴属于“哺乳纲-奇蹄目-马科-驴属”。中国的家驴是大概5000年前从“亚洲野驴”驯化来的，目前大概有30种，其中以德州驴、华北驴、新疆驴等最为有名。
②蓟：蓟是一类菊科草本植物，有一些种类在茎和叶子的边缘有刺。前面提到过，牛马不喜欢吃冬青叶子就是因为这些刺。看来，驴的确是很“皮实”的。
③惩罚：前面的课文注释，已经提到过英国的动物立法历史。这里关于虐待驴子的具体条目不详，但1876年关于实验动物的《英国残酷对待动物法》（Cruelty to Animals Act），以及1911年的《英格兰动物保护法》（Protection of Animals Act），都有针对虐待实验动物和牛、马、驴等家畜的惩罚，包括罚款和监禁。2006年，英国通过了更加完善的《动物福利法案》（Animal Welfare Act）。英国现在还有大约900头役使用的驴子，其中有不少是在沙滩上让孩子骑的。2008年，英国通过了一项保护沙滩驴的方案，除了规定沙滩驴必要的休息时间之外，还禁止体重超过8英石（大约50.1公斤）的儿童骑沙滩驴。
THE USEFUL COCOA-NUT
