Neddy

This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design. Neddy, a spirited young donkey, tells his own story with wit, vanity, and a growing awareness that curiosity alone cannot carry him through the world. In his early life, he enjoys the peace of a green field, sparring good-naturedly with his cautious mother, who warns that work, pain, and duty lie ahead. Under the patient care of Old Thomas, the gentle gardener, and the affectionate guidance of his kind mistress Annie, Neddy begins to learn trust, obedience, and the difference between freedom and the manners expected in a human household. As he grows, pride and loneliness make him restless, and when his mistress returns as a young lady, his failure to recognize her brings him shame. Soon the prospect of being broken in for carriage work forces him to confront the truth his mother had long understood: every creature has its task. His attempts at resistance, escape, and deceit lead to punishment, but also to hard-earned lessons about honesty, patience, and the mercy of kindness. Against the lively backdrop of old English fairs and their crowds, booths, and entertainments, Neddy's tale continues with comic adventures, including a satirical encounter with a supposedly clever performing donkey named Muffles.