"That's cute," Esther replies, rolling her eyes. Still, she can feel color rush to her cheeks - obviously, from being called out. Right?

"The ass is as the ass does,
a whip-smart farce of a thing,
who calls out no one but herself.
See how she neighs and bucks!
What cunning she must have, to be so
brazen. I, for one, think that
the little donkey should join
in the courage of shutting up."