The Girl and the Little Donkey

Lily lives in a small house with a red roof at the edge of a green meadow. Every morning, she puts on her straw hat with the green ribbon and her red rubber boots to explore the world around her. One day, she hears a soft, lonely sound coming from the barn next door. Peeking inside, she finds a little donkey with soft grey fur, a cream-colored belly, long floppy ears, and big dark eyes that look a bit shy. The farmer tells her the donkey's name is Pepper, that he is young and needs a friend. Lily asks if she can take care of him, and the farmer agrees, saying Pepper needs someone kind and patient.

From that day on, Lily follows a gentle routine of feeding, brushing, walking, and resting. She fills a bucket with fresh hay and stands very still while Pepper takes his first cautious bites. She brushes his grey coat in slow, smooth circles until his long ears relax. She clips the lead rope to his halter and takes him along paths lined with wildflowers, and on cool mornings she drapes a small red blanket over his back. When Pepper plants his hooves and refuses to move, Lily does not pull or shout; she waits patiently and offers him fresh grass until he takes a step forward. She learns that donkeys need company, so she brings him to the meadow where the goats and chickens play, and she notices when he shivers in the cold wind and fetches his blanket. This tale by Aysel Banu YAVUZAL can be read on Masal İzle.