CHAPTER 36
This is a story I wrote for the kid things.
If you have toddler peoples who like stories, maybe try it out on them. f you don’t think it sucks.
DINKY DONKEY
AND THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE WOODED GLEN
There’s an old tale about a little Donkey that lived in the woodland grove. Her name was Dinky Donkey, and she was a very curious little donkey. She enjoyed running about the meadows and munching on abundant dandelions in the field where she lived with a few other donkey’s a pig named Oscar and a grumpy old cow named Polly.
One morning, Dinky Donkey was out plying in the meadow when she spied a beautiful blue butterfly flapping on the breeze.
“Hello,” said Dinky Donkey, “I like the colour of your wings.”
The butterfly nodded a thank you and alighted on Dinky Donkey’s nose, before winking and flapping into the air again.
“Do you know the catch ‘em scratch ‘em game?” asked Dinky Donkey. “You chase someone and if you catch them, you get to scratch them!” The butterfly looked horrified. “Well, it’s tickling really. We just tickle them. Want to play?” asked Dinky Donkey.
The butterfly nodded and flew away fast, zigging and zagging as Dinky Donkey raced after her, trying to catch her.
Soon, however, Dinky Donkey was deep in the woods, and the butterfly had flown away.
The sun was low in the sky and Dinky Donkey realised she had become lost. She turned left; she turned right; she looked up; she looked down, but she did not know where she was or how to get to her field.
“What am I to do,” she signed.
“Oi. Donkey thing.” Dinky Donkey looked all around but couldn’t find the owner of the voice. “Oi. Down here. Under the log.”
Dinky Donkey lowered her head and looked under the log to see a black and white dog hiding there.
“Are you hiding?” asked Dinky Donkey.
“From the farmer. I ate his shoes again, and he’s cross with me.”
“Why would you eat shoes? Shoes aren’t for eating.”
“I can’t help myself see. Something comes over me, an excitement I can’t control, and I just have to eat them. Run around with them and by the time I’ve finished playing with them, they’re ruined,” said the dog.
“I am sorry that you’re in trouble,” said Dinky Donkey. “Can’t you just say sorry?”
“I’ve never tried that,” said the dog. “My master can get quite cross. “Where’s your master?” asked the dog.
Dinky Donkey thought hard about the question.
“I don’t know,” said Dinky Donkey.
“You don’t know!” Exclaimed the dog. “You need to know who your master is. You must find them. You must. All of us must have a master.”
“Leroy!” Came a big booming voice, and the dog pushed himself further under the log.
“That’s my master.” Said the dog.
“Your name is Leroy?”
The dog nodded. “Yes. Leroy.”
“What’s your name?” asked Leroy.
“Dinky Donkey,” she said proudly.
Leroy made a face, “Dinky Donkey. What kind of name is that?”
“Mine. It’s my name.”
“Leroy!” The booming voice called again.
“I better go,” said Leroy, “but ensure you find your master! Byeeeeee.”
And with that, Leroy ran through the woods.
“Wait!” called out Dinky Donkey, “where would I look?”
“Find the owl,” Came Leroys vote from far away.
“The owl. What’s an owl?” Dinky Donkey asked herself. “Is the owl my master?”
Dinky Donkey walked further into the woods and the deeper she got, the darker it became, until she couldn’t see the sun at all anymore.
Strange noises were all around her, and when the moon rose, she could see a pair of eyes looking at her.
Dinky Donkey screamed, and the owner of the eyes screamed too.
“Don’t eat me, please!” pleaded the owner of the glowing eyes.
“I thought you were going to eat me,” said Dinky Donkey.
Dinky Donkey approached the glowing eyes. “What are you?” Dinky Donkey asked.
“My name is Clancy Princeton, and I happen to be an owl. Pray tell me, who am I speaking with?” Clancy asked as the feathers on his chest puffed out.
“I’m Dinky Donkey. I’m a field donkey.”
“I can see that you are indeed a donkey. That is obvious. I’ve simply never engaged in a conversation with a donkey before. Are you lost? Where’s your master?” Asked Clancy.
“I’m looking for my master. You don’t know where they would be, do you?”
“Me? How should I know where your master is. Near your field I suspect, wondering where you are.”
“Leroy, said to find the owl. As you’re an owl, I thought you might know.”
“Leroy isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. He eats shoes you know.”
“Yes. He told me that.” Said Dinky Donkey.
“Well, nice to meet you,” said Clancy as he prepared to take flight.
“Wait!” Exclaimed Dinky Donkey. “I must find my master. “Please don’t leave me.”
“I don’t have the time to babysit you,” said Clancy.
Dinky Donkey lowered her head as her ears folded back on her head. “Okay. I’m just a little afraid.”
Clancy felt bad for the tiny donkey. “Listen,” he said. “There’s a farm at the top of the hill. There are many animals there and they all have masters. Perhaps that’s where your master will be. Just follow that path, and by sunrise tomorrow, you will be there.”
“Oh thank you, thank you so much,” cried Dinky Donkey.
“Leroooooooy!” A booming voice called from far away. Dinky Donkey and Clancy turned toward the voice.
“He’s eaten another pair of shoes, hasn’t he?” asked Dinky Donkey.
“I imagine he has,” replied Clancy. “He simply can’t help himself. Good luck.” And with that Clancy flew away.
Dinky Donkey watched him fly away as her gaze caught the moon. A big beautiful silver globe hanging in the sky far above the trees. “How beautiful,” whispered the little Donkey.
Turning to the path, she saw the path illuminated in the moonlight and took her first steps down the path to find her master.
In the surrounding trees, she could hear strange noises and things slithered among the leaves. “I’m just off to find my master. I’m not here to eat anyone,” Dinky Donkey announced, just in case anyone was wondering what she was doing.
Then, suddenly, she heard running feet behind her, coming closer and closer and closer, and she screamed! Then Leroy howled as he tried to skid to a stop and crashed into Dinky Donkey. Over and over they rolled on the path until they finally came to a stop in a blackberry bush.
“Leroy!” exclaimed Dinky Donkey. “I didn’t think I’d see you again.”
“I was wondering if you found the owl. I thought maybe I should bring you to him instead and introduce you. He’s meant to be wise they say.”
“Who says?”
“They.” Leroy nods carefully as his eyes half close.
“Who are, they? Is they another mystery like who my master is.”
“Perhaps,” said Leroy. “The owl lives…”
“Met him, we chatted, and he flew away. But he thinks my master is at the end of the path. Would you… Would you like to come to and meet them with me? Since we’re friends now.”
“Yeah, I’ll come for a walk. My master is grumpy with me again.”
“Did you eat another shoe?”
Leroy lowers his head.
“You’d think he’d give you old shoes to play with. It’s like he doesn’t know you at all,” said Dinky Donkey. “That’s what I’d do if I was a master.”
“That’s an excellent point!” exclaimed Leroy. And with that, the new friends headed into the dark woods together, happily chatting about all they’d seen and done. Leroy was especially intrigued by the catch them scratch them game, and they played a few rounds as they journeyed through the woods. Leroy was very good at it, as he was quick and nimble, he could catch Dinky Donkey easily, although he pretended on a couple of occasions that she was faster.
By the time the sun rose, they were both exhausted and still laughing from their game. They collapsed beside a river to catch their breath.
“Who are you Goombahs?” said a voice from the long grass.
Dinky Donkey and Leroy leapt to their feet to see a pair of horns rise out of the grass and below them, the lovely blue eyes of a goat.
“I’m Dinky Donkey and this is my friend Leroy. It pleases us to meet you.”
“Hi.” Said Leroy.
“Yeah g’day,” said the goat.
“May I know your name?” asked Dinky Donkey.
“Polite little thing, ain’t ya?” Sniffed the goat. “The names Will-E-Goat.”
“Billie Goat?” asked Leroy.
“Will… look, I’m a girl okay, why would I be called Billie Goat? I’m called, Will-E-Goat.”
“Sorry,” said Leroy. “my hearing can be bad. I get yelled at a lot.”
“That’s not nice, to be yelled at.” said Will-E-Goat. “Who yells at you?”
“My master.”
“Why does he do that?”
“Cause I like shoes and I play with them and eat them all the time and he gets mad.”
“He knows you like shoes?
Leroy nods. “Yes, yes he does.”
“Then he should give you old ones to play with.” Said Will-E-Goat. “If he was kind.”
Leroy and Dinky Donkey share a look.
“We were just talking about that very thing,” said Dinky Donkey.
“And what brings you both to my river?” asked Will-E-Goat.
“We’re trying to find Dinky Donkey’s master.” Said Leroy.
“Why?” Asked Will-E-Goat.
“Because I must have one somewhere.” Said Dinky Donkey, “and I don’t know who they are.”
“Yes, you do,” said Will-E-Goat.
“I don’t though,” said Dinky Donkey.
“Would you like me to show you?” Asked Will-E-Goat?
Dinky Donkey was ecstatic. “Yes, please. I would love to meet my master!”
“Follow me, and you too Leroy.”
Will-E-Goat led Dinky Donkey and Leroy to the edge of the river.
“How do we get across?” Asked Dinky Donkey.
“Look down.” Said Will-E-Goat.
Dinky Donkey and Leroy looked at the river. Neither understanding, but then Dinky Donkey found she was looking at her own reflection in the water and suddenly it all made sense.
A feeling of joy ruffled through her fur.
“There’s your master.” Said Will-E-Goat. “Ensure you are always good to her.”
“Thank you, Will-E-Goat. Thank you very much,” said Dinky Donkey. “Come on Leroy, we have a long journey back.”
Leroy was still staring into the water, “All I see is fish. Is it the fish?”
“I’ll explain it to you on the way home,” said Dinky Donkey. “You can come and live with me, if you want.”
“I’d like that. I’d really like that,” said Leroy. And with that, the new friends walked into the woods and headed home, with Leroy leading the way, nose to the ground.
THE END
Danny Matier 