On the Third Day of Christmas...
The Little Ol’ Donkey
That Had
Little To Say
I
|
t was the night before Christmas when all the beasts came
together from the farthest places of the earth to talk. The first voice to be
heard was the deep, rich bass of the lion. “I speak,” he said, “as the king of
beasts.” And truly he looked a king with his beautiful thick mane and his tawny
rippling muscles. “I won't repeat my good deeds. I shall not again tonight
repeat the shining stories of the days when the Romans loved me. I shall not
recall the story of the one man,
Daniel, who defied me in my own den—a story humbling to
me—which I have often told you to prove I am not proud. I shall say nothing of
my stealthy fury that makes the whole continent tremble at the very sound of my
name...”
“Then
I shall speak,” –and by the trumpet sound, the beasts knew the elephant spoke.
“I am the biggest beast on earth. My size and my strength awe nations. Yet I
can walk so softly and lightly that no ear can hear my coming. Isn't that
something to be proud of? And I don't believe any of you can flip a tremendous
teak log over your shoulder as handily as I can. That takes power. Yes, and who
else here has been a beast of war? Who else has crossed the Alps ? You know how
very high the Alps are! I and my strong brothers helped the famous General
Hannibal and his soldiers over them in one of his great campaigns. And
Hannibal's in history books all over the world.”
A
strange, whispering voice broke in: “You know me, the giraffe. Usually I stay
silent, but I hope you'll remember I'm the tallest and can look down on you.
But please don't think I am bragging because I'm up here above you. I eat from
the tops of trees. Nobody else here can do that.
Besides, being the tallest, I can run faster than most...”
“Let
me interrupt.” It was the leopard's voice. “You'd have to move pretty fast to
outrun certain striped and spotted cousins of mine who hold most of the speed
records. Right, cousins?” The
tiger nodded his head and the cheetah, fastest of all,
smiled.
The
camel, till now, had been chewing his cud and watching with sad eyes. He
cleared his throat and his voice rasped out: “I am neither handsome nor fleet.
I have some trouble keeping clean. But I have the right to feel as proud as
anyone here. I helped build the pyramids of Egypt! Have any of you ever tackled
a job that big? I am also the only
animal in the world that can have two humps on his back. I am used to going
many days without water, across scorching sands that would burn the feet off
most of you within hours. My friends, the camel counts, and I have a right to
feel happy.”
For
a long while after the camel's speech, there was silence. Then the llama
coughed and said: “I am by nature modest. One thing, however—I have had much
experience crossing mountains. You have heard of the Andes, my home, and the
war work I've done.”
Others
spoke too. The goose honked, “I layed a golden egg once. Who else has done
that?” The turtle said, “I'm the slowest. It's better. When you are fast, you
go round in circles.” The fox said: “I
am the slyest, the trickiest, and probably the brainiest of you all.” The zebra said: “For confusion, I'm best. Am
I black with white stripes or white with black?” The grizzly bear said: “Who that is as heavy
as I am, can climb a tree as well?” And
the polar bear said: “Can anybody but me swim with icebergs or catch fish with
a paw?”
All
this time a little gray beast stood listening. Finally, the other animals
looked his way. There wasn't much he could do but speak. “I am a donkey,” he
began, in a voice so hoarse and low that the beasts leaned forward to hear. “I
can't run fast or go days without water. I couldn't swim a stroke among
icebergs. I've never climbed a tree. Nobody is afraid of me.”
(C. Ralph Bennett)
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