The text describes an anecdote involving a donkey in Paris which reminds the author of the biblical story of Balaam's donkey. The tale narrates how a donkey driver aggressively tried to help the donkey stand after it stumbled, likening the situation to a comedic and almost human-like response from the donkey. The narrative presents the donkey's reaction as resembling human behavior, using expressive head movements and sounds.
Facial Observation, Breed, and
shall not likely envy him for the honor. Surely if donkeys could, we believe they would often burst into such vehement advocacy. And just as we recall a certain incident we saw in Paris: So we must admit that when we observe the same, the said story of Balaam’s donkey was not forgotten; Because just as a certain marsh hunter drove into the city with a donkey laden with moss-herbs; it happened that he stumbled over the broken streets near Faubourg St. Marceau and devoutly fell to his knees; the donkey driver promptly moving from the rear to the front, attacked like a mad witch, beating and striking him to help him back on his feet; under whose blows, the little donkey turned so pitifully against its sweet Smurf that it threw its head back in the neck very sympathetically, and in that motion stepping backward, encountered a step back and struck his executioner with a back-handed slap in the foot-sand: Who, so quickly was not back on her feet, or resumed her practice of rehearsal from Meta, and the donkey got not little off; We who saw it, thought that this donkey comedy therewith came to an end; just as would only begin: Because just as a good dog is teased for so long until he bites, so this donkey after receiving a few blows on his shoulders moved itself with such impatience in posture as if he wished to fight against his master woman, showing beforehand with many movements of the head, opening and closing its mouth, and with various tones of sound and mocking, that he grumbled, that he scolded, yes almost like a Human.