The Girl and the Donkey

Amelia adores animals, and on a bright Saturday she heads up a dusty lane to the farm sanctuary with a green canvas satchel filled with carrots. Farmer Ruth, who runs the sanctuary, cautions her that the rescued animals are shy and stubborn and that trust cannot be hurried. In a small paddock Amelia encounters Jasper, a grey donkey with long floppy ears and a wary dark eye, rescued from a place where no one had been kind to him. When she steps closer, he flattens his ears and turns away.

Rather than pushing, Amelia comes back after school each day, bringing Jasper fresh hay and cool water, filling his trough and tidying his stall, then sitting quietly on an upturned crate without reaching for him. Farmer Ruth shows her how to brush a donkey with gentle strokes and never to rush. Weeks pass, and although Jasper keeps his distance, his ears no longer flatten when she approaches. This gentle tale by Jane MEADOW can be read on Kids Tale Book.