Loukios, or the Ass (47-53)

The effect on me was that by living this pleasant and luxurious life I grew handsome again in body from having my natural food, and my hide shone with a fresh growth of hair. But my most worthy masters, when they saw me growing fat and sleek, although my barley was not consumed, but remained of the same amount, began to suspect my audacity. So they went out as if going to the bath, closed the doors, and applied their eyes to a crack and watched what went on within. Innocent of the fraud, I forthwith advanced and took my dinner. They first burst out laughing at sight of the incredible meal. Then they called the other slaves to see me, and there was a general laugh, so that the master himself heard it, because it made such an uproar outside, and asked what the joke was out there. When he heard he rose up from his wine, peeped in, and saw me swallowing a bit of wild-boar. With a shout of laughter he entered the room. I was greatly disturbed at being discovered by the master

He perceived, as you may suppose, that I was a remarkable creature, and ordered one of his stewards to pay my price to the man who had bought me, and as much again, and he handed me over to a young freedman of his establishment, bidding him instruct me in whatever would make me most diverting him. The young man found the task easy, for I obeyed instantly every instruction. First he made me recline on a couch, leaning on my elbow like a man. Then he taught me to wrestle with him, and actually to dance, standing upright on my hind-feet, and to nod my head or shake it in answer to questions, and a number of other things-all of which I

As I have said, Menekles, our master, was from Thessalonika, and had come to this place to make arrangements for a spectacle he had promised his countrymen of men skilled to fight with weapons in single combat. The gladiators were by this time secured, and the party set out. We started at early morning, and I carried my master whenever a stretch of road was rough and hard for the carriages to traverse. When we arrived in Thessalonika every one was eager for the exhibition and for a sight of me, for my renown had preceded me from afar, and the report of my versatility and manlike gifts of dancing and

But the man in charge of me made an income of a good many dollars out of me. He used to lock me up in a room, and when people wished to see me and my incredible performances he would open the door on payment of a fee. They used to bring in all sorts of eatables, particularly such as were considered revolting to an ass's stomach, but I ate them all, so that in a few days, by dining with my master and the townsfolk, I had already grown large and terribly fat.

Finally that day arrived which was to bring such distinction to my master. They decided to exhibit me in the theatre, and this was the manner of my appearance. A large couch was prepared, wrought of Indian tortoise-shell fastened with bolts of gold. I was laid on it, and in this posture placed on a machine of some sort, transported to the theatre, and deposited in the middle amid shouts of applause and a universal clapping of hands. A table was spread for me, and many dishes were set on it such as human epicures have for dinner. Slave boys stood in attendance, handsome cup-bearers who served me with wine in a golden cup. The man in charge of me, who was standing behind, bade me eat my dinner,