So Many Asses

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 121, 17 October 1941, Unnumbered Page

So Many Asses

HEN William Shakespeare lived in London a Scotsman named Banks, with his astonishing horse Morocco, became the talk of the town. In those days Morocco was a young nag of a chestnut or bay colour. The tricks which the animal performed delighted the Londoners because he seemed to be as much at ease on his hind legs as he was standing on all fours. When his master threw down his glove, and commanded Morocco to take it to some particular person-say, for example, to the gentleman in the large ruff, or the lady with the green mantle, the horse did what he was told without a mistake. When Banks put some coins into the glove, Morocco would tell how many there were by raps with its foot. It is on record that Morocco could read the numbers on the upper face of a pair of dice -that is the number of black spots on white cubes. One of Morocco’s tricks that used to make the people laugh heartily was the way in which he singled out the ¢entleman who was most fond of the ladies, . . . Morocco was taken by its master to Scotland in 1596, and the Scots thought the horse was controlled by a spirit. In the year 1600, Banks took the Londoners’ breath away by making Morocco walk up to the top of old St. Paul’s Cathedral belfry and then return to the ground. We find in the old Jest Books of the time, that, while this performance was going on in the presence of an enormous crowd, a setvant went into the Cathedral to tell his master, who was walking in the middle aisle, what was going on outside and urged him to come out and see the wonderful sight. " Away, you fool!" answered the gentleman, " what need have I to go so far to see a horse on the top. when I can see so many asses at the bottom!"-(" Famous Horses in History," 2YA, September 29.) mneee