Dale was the donkey of Dragonfly Pond.  He ate grass and flowers on warm sunny days; but on rainy days he stood in the corner of the pond with his back to the weather. 

Dale loved his summer days when the grass was green and the dandelions were yellow.  He had everything a donkey could want.  He had mud on the edge of the pond that he could roll in when the flies were bad. 

Sometimes the children from down the road would stop at the fence along the pond and feed him sweet green apples that they picked from the tree outside the fence.  The tree had grown just outside the fence of the pond-------just far enough away that Dale could smell them but couldn’t reach them.  He always had a friendly hee haw for the children when they came by.

The meadowlarks sang to Dale every morning of the summer.  The Duck family that lived at the pond always had a friendly quack for Dale.  Dale had everything at the pond---------everything except his donkey friend Strawberry.   Strawberry was spending the summer in the farm house pasture.  Sometimes other donkeys would pass by the pond and Dale would bray a mournful goodbye as they disappeared from sight hoping that one of them would be his old friend Strawberry.

One morning as Dale watched Mrs. Duck and the ducklings paddle to the center of the pond he heard a familiar sound.  Farmer Dan had driven his old truck to the pond.  In the bed of the old truck stood Strawberry; Dale’s old donkey friend from the farm house pasture. 

Dale and Strawberry brayed joyful brays at this happy reunion.  Dan helped Strawberry back out of the bed of the truck.  He led Strawberry through the gate to be with his old friend Dale.

As Farmer Dan drove away he yelled out the window of the truck “You boys enjoy the next few days”.  “I need you both for the county fair next week.”  “I’ll be by again later to load both of you in the truck”.

Both Dale and Strawberry were “Show Donkeys” and they always worked the local county fair.  Their specialty was pulling the cart in the parade.

The fair was a gala event for the donkeys and the children.  The children decorated the cart with flowers and colorful paper ribbon.

Dale and Strawberry loved getting ready for the fair and brayed their favorite donkey songs for the occasion.

Nanny and Billy goat also pulled a cart in the parade.  The children took special care decorating their cart.  They made sure that the decorations were far enough back on the cart.  Nanny and Billy were not beyond snacking on decorations within their reach.

The day finally came and Farmer Dan came early in the morning to load Dale and Strawberry.  Dale and Strawberry waited anxiously at the gat while Farmer Dan backed the truck to the gate.  Farmer Dan dropped the tailgate; with one swift jump Dale was in the truck and Strawberry followed.

On the road to the fairgrounds Dale and Strawberry felt the wind in their manes and sniffed the summer air.  They brayed a happy donkey song.

The fairgrounds were all a bustle.  People were coming and going. All of the animals you can imagine were there.  Herman the prize pig was there wearing his last years blue ribbon.  Little girls brushed and groomed their rabbits.  Jenkins, the prize rooster practiced his crowing. Gert, the lead sheep, rang her bell in celebration.  Lilly and Bob, the Australian Shepherds, sat behind the sheep and panted in the warm sun.

Farmer Dan had freshly oiled Dale and Strawberry’s harness and it looked shiny in the sun.  Farmer Dan hitched Dale and Strawberry to the harness and they knew it was almost time to start.  The children slipped Dale and Strawberry’s top hats over their ears and set them on their heads at a jaunty angle.  They put flowers on the harness near the silver buckles and put carnations on the leather collars and shined the brass hames.

Finally Mayor Wilkins, who was this year’s parade grand master, started putting the parade in order.  Yes, Dale and Strawberry would lead the parade pulling their cart with Mayor Wilkins holding the rains.  Eight flower girls followed the cart tossing rose petals that they carried in baskets.

Right behind the flower girls was Nanny and Billy.  Their cart was decorated and riding in the cart dressed in royal robes was this year’s parade Queen, Elise the poodle.

BoBo the clown followed Elise’s cart juggling 3 red balls.

A menagerie of animals followed BoBo.  Herman the pig, Emma the cat’s two newest kittens scampered about in and out and between the marching geese.  Jenkins crowed proudly as he strutted along.  Gert rang her bell as she led the rest of the flock down the avenue.  The last in line was Eleanor the cow.  As she walked along chewing her cud, her cowbell clanged an end to the parade.

Dale and Strawberry won the blue ribbon for best entry for the fourth straight year.  They brayed a joyous Thank You and bowed as the Grand Master placed the ribbons on their halters.

And now the parade was over for another year.

The End

©4/15/07Terry Sutherland