The Girl and the Friendly Mule

Nine-year-old Hannah lives on a farm with green fields and a big red barn, and she spends her mornings feeding the chickens and gathering eggs. One sunny afternoon she finds a large, dusty grey-brown mule named Jasper resting quietly in the shade. He is very old, with a lowered back and knobby knees, and faded scars on his shoulders from years of plowing and carrying loads. His tired dark-brown eyes soften when Hannah approaches, and a friendship begins.

Hannah brushes Jasper's coat until it shines, brings him apples and tells him about her day while he listens with his ears pricked forward. When she overhears the farmer say that Jasper is too old to work and must rest, she worries about what will happen to him. Learning that he can stay but needs a comfortable place, she thinks of an idea of her own. This gentle tale by Jane MEADOW follows Hannah as she cares for Jasper, and it can be read on Kids Tale Book.