It never ceases to amaze me how we tend to learn the best lessons in the most unexpected of ways. Take a donkey, for example, a donkey is one of those animals that was created with one single purpose: work. For them, life can be short or long depending on who their owner is. They don’t really have a lot of options, and it’s not like they can avoid work by claiming disability benefits.
Donkeys around the world have a difficult life. The modern donkey has its roots in Africa, by way of the African wild ass. They exist in several countries in Africa but have seen their numbers go down due to being hunted for their fur. A little over 500 of them still exist in the wild, and there have been a lot of government efforts to get their numbers up.
The relationship donkeys and humans have has spanned over 5000 years. They were brought to America with hopes of providing a compact strong work companion that did not need all that maintenance. Donkeys and stubbornness go hand in hand. This is not because of their connection with humans, but quite the opposite. It is very difficult to force a donkey to do something he might consider dangerous.
This has caused a lot of concern among animal activists. There have been cases where some people have abused donkeys when they fail to comply with the owner’s requests. This has led some of them to sustain serious injuries and having to be hospitalized after one of these episodes. At times, people have delivered punishment in the form of not feeding him.
Donkeys are very common in undeveloped countries and they provide a form of cheap labor to people who don’t have a lot of resources. In developed countries, they are used for breeding or kept as pets in ranches. They have a calm temper but will react aggressively if they feel threatened. Now that you know the general details of the donkey, how would you feel if I told you there was a donkey who aspired to be more than just a donkey?
It happened one warm day on a farm somewhere. The farmer had five majestic Clydesdales that he used for work and shows. The town major would sometimes ask the farmer to take part in the city parade, and their Clydesdales would be the center of attraction. One day the donkey went up to the Clydesdale with a request. He didn’t want to be a donkey anymore, he wanted to be a Clydesdale. What the farmer did will leave you in stitches!
