“I haven’t seen you in a donkey’s age. You’ve been gone for
donkey years. Almost as long as donkey’s ears.”
The many variations on the theme of this colloquial
expression would lead one to believe that a donkey lives for a very long time.
They also have long ears.
We aren’t exactly sure how old our Donkey is. He is getting
bald patches on his back again but that is due to rain rot – a type of fungus –
and not necessarily age. A few good applications of sulfur rub and he will be
growing a thick, wiry coat again. Not a shiny, glossy and furry coat like the
winter wear of the horse, but a reliable, almost impermeable covering of
bristle that will get him through the colder months.
A quick search of the Internet says donkeys can live between
45 to 50 years. That’s a good 20 on a horse. The oldest donkey on record lived
to the ripe old age of 57.
Donkeys are very easy to care for, they don’t ask for much,
they are smart, and hardy and dedicated. So why the bad rap? Why do we have
insulting references in almost every language on the globe, related to the
stupidity of the ‘lowly’ donkey? Probably because the donkey can be found on
just about every continent on the earth. They are common. They are easy to care
for, so they are owned even by those who cannot afford the fussy feed and care
that a horse might require, for example.
The donkey is the only animal on our farm who does not
complain about the food. When the hay is a bit moldy or the silage a bit too
ripe, he just keeps eating while the horse, cattle and even the lone sheep line
up at the fence to sing a complaint in the general direction of the farm house.
Donkey just stands at the feeder, happily chewing and swallowing down the sub-par
menu.
When Donkey comes in to the stable for the night as company
for the horse, he doesn’t even eat or drink. He just stands guard while she
tosses her hay around and spills her water everywhere. He can get to her water
and hay if he needs a snack but we don’t even bother to fill his water bucket
anymore as it is just frozen solid in the morning, untouched.
If the horse is getting sweet feed, however, you have to
give Donkey some. Same with apples. If he smells an apple, he will have his
chin on your shoulder, nibbling at your ear until you hand it over. That animal
loves a good over-ripe apple.
On our farm, the donkey has built a bit of a reputation
because he is very smart and therefore, like the horse, he gets bored. If the
ATV or tractor is left out in the open where the animals can access them, they
will happily bite and tug on the squishy padded seat and rubberized handles for
hours. The hoodlums will have the tractor stripped by the time the Farmer gets
home.
If the animals are on the lawn, trotting down the road or
visiting the cornfield next door, you can bet it was Donkey who let them out.
He studies a gate latch and plays with it for hours until he masters it. What
else does he have to do all day? Might as well work on his Houdini routine.
The Farmer says we don’t need Donkey anymore, because we
only have one sheep left and she is kept safe by always standing next to the
big Belgian horse. But I argue that Donkey and Misty the horse are best friends
since she lost her sister. She would be lost, without him. She doesn’t even
like to go into the stable if he isn’t with her.
Donkeys are important. This time of year we tell the story
of a very special donkey who carried someone named Mary quite a distance on his
back, without complaint or demand, all the way to Bethlehem .
So once again, I argue respect for the donkey. He shall
receive a large bag of over-ripe apples to share with the horse and the sheep
and his favourite cows on Christmas morning. They can eat the sweet fruit until
their bellies ache. Except Donkey won’t get a belly ache, because he has a
cast-iron stomach and he isn’t fussy like that.
Merry Christmas!
Email: dianafisher1@gmail.com
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