The Wasp — 1877 — page 291: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This humorous narrative follows an artist's encounter with a small private picnic party near Saucelito. The story centers on "Tomy," a mule that becomes the focus of comedic misadventure. The sequence depicts gentlemen attempting to ride or manage the stubborn animal. The mule repeatedly refuses cooperation—bucking, resisting, and causing chaos. One gentleman mentions the mule won't move "an inch," while another threatens retaliation, saying "I'll get you a-goin'" and joking about making the mule answer for its behavior by summer. The humor derives from the contrast between the gentlemen's attempts at control and the mule's absolute refusal to cooperate, presented through a series of escalating comic vignettes showing their failed efforts.