L'Estrange: The Asses Skin.

A Miserable Ass that was ready to sink under Blows and Burdens, call'd upon Death to Deliver him from that Intolerable Oppression. Death was within Hearing it seems, and took him at his Word; but told him withal for his Comfort, that whereas other Creatures end their Misfortunes and their Lives together, You must not expect that it will be so with you; for (says Death) they'l make Drums of your Skin when your Carcass shall be Carrion, and never leave Drubbing of ye so long as one Piece will hold to another.

Some People are Miserable beyond the Relief even of Death it self: That is to say, there are Men that lead Restless Lives in this World, under a Dreadful Apprehension at the same time, of being more Wretched in the next.

Source: L'Estrange 437.

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Click here for a SLIDESHOW of all the colored Steinhowel images. As often in Steinhowel's Aesop, both stages of the story are shown in one frame: on the left you can see the long-suffering donkey, and on the right you can see the donkey being "drummed" even after his death.

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