The Trial of an Ox, for Killing a Man; With the Examination of the Witnesses, Before Judge Lion, at Quadruped Court, near Beast Park.

In this witty moral fable, an ox is seized and brought before Quadruped Court after goring his driver in a crowded market. Judge Lion presides over the unusual case, while the Dogs are denied the role of witnesses because they are interested parties. Horses, an Ass, a Bee, and other animal observers take the stand, transforming a grim incident into a lively courtroom drama filled with sharp observations and comic touches.

The ox pleads that he was driven to desperation by cruelty, exhaustion, and prolonged suffering. As the testimony unfolds, the story asks an uncomfortable question: should an abused creature be punished for an act committed after harsh treatment has robbed him of reason? Presented in the style of a children’s penny tale, this brief work combines playful animal characters with a serious appeal for compassion, fair judgment, and more humane treatment of working animals.