THE STORY OF EDWARD

A well-tuned, if less than resonant, bit of continental whimsy, featuring a suited-up donkey named Edward who has ""a wonderful talent for waltzing."" He proves more generally talented when his master dies and sends Edward off on his own. (""Just remember this: Never let anybody see your long ears."") Soon Edward is waiting table at the Cafe Moderne, but when he doffs his hat to the lovely cashier, his secret is discovered--""Edward! You're a donkey!""--and Edward must flee. But all ends well for Edward, with a house in the country, a donkey wife he has purchased from a cart driver, and ""several gifted children""--the whole family waltzing together and generally ""devoting themselves to the arts."" Both the story's droll, mock-urbane tone and the matching line and watercolor pictures are familiar from much earlier imports, and this is more imitation than life-infusing variation--but like Edward, Dumas maintains the pose with aplomb.