THE OLD MAN AND THE MULE

In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia live a snaggle-toothed, mean old Rascal named Zeek and his sorry-looking, contrary-minded mule Tully; and they pass their time playing spiteful tricks on each other. But when Zeke inherits a tractor and sells Tully to the Widder Harley for seven dollars and a peck of cornmeal, both he and Tully wind up so lonesome that Zeek determines to get the mule back. What with the Widder's bargaining and the mule's perversity, Zeek ends up spank where he started, without the seven dollars, the cornmeal, or the tractor--just man and mule tormenting each other: ""But neither one is lonely. And neither one is sad."" Fair enough, with obvious parallels to more familiar relationships--though Snyder's rustic narration hasn't much kick and Lazarevich's rustic, hee-haw pictures can get monotonous. A draw.