The Story of the Little Donkey
The Secret of the Donkey's Ears
Did you know? In the original handwritten manuscript of the Brothers Grimm, the little donkey's ears were described as 'like two big fans.' This wasn't just random exaggeration. In 19th-century Europe, donkeys really did have longer ears than modern breeds, because people used ear length to judge health—the more upright the ears, the healthier the animal. So the little donkey's long ears were actually a sign of his strength, not a flaw!
In a green valley surrounded by mountains, there was a quiet farm. Many animals lived on the farm: cows that mooed, sheep that baaed, and hens that clucked. One morning, Mother Donkey gave birth to a little donkey. This little donkey had a coat of dusty gray fur, four thin legs, and a pair of especially, especially long ears—ears so long they looked almost like two little tree leaves standing up on his head, swaying gently in the wind.
The little donkey opened his eyes and looked around at the world with curiosity. He tried to stand up, but his legs were soft and wobbly, and he tumbled head over heels. Mother Donkey gently licked his forehead and encouraged him to try again. At last, the little donkey stood up, trembling, and happily brayed, "Hee-haw—hee-haw—" twice.
But the other animals on the farm did not think he was cute. The cow lowered her head and said with a sideways glance, "Look at those long ears—just like two broken fans!" The sheep giggled behind her hoof: "His legs are so thin, he'll look like he's walking on stilts when he runs!" The hens gathered in a circle, clucking and chattering: "Gray and dull—not pretty at all." When the little donkey heard this, his ears drooped, and he walked silently to a corner of the farm and hung his head.
The little donkey hid behind a pile of dry hay in the corner of the farm, feeling terribly sad. He looked down at his reflection in a puddle: long ears, gray fur, thin legs. The more he looked, the uglier he felt, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Mother Donkey found him and nuzzled his neck with her warm nose. "Child, why are you hiding here?" she asked softly. The little donkey sniffled and said, "Mother, they all say I'm ugly—my ears are too long, my legs are too thin..." Mother Donkey smiled, lay down beside him, and said, "Child, listen to me. It doesn't matter whether you are beautiful or plain on the outside. What matters is what is in your heart. A kind heart is more precious than any pretty face. Being willing to help others, willing to share, willing to be brave—these are what true beauty is."
The little donkey lifted his head and looked into his mother's gentle eyes, and his heart felt warm. He asked, "But they will still laugh at me." Mother Donkey patted his back gently with her hoof: "Then let your actions show them what kind of heart you have. One day, they will see it." The little donkey nodded and kept his mother's words close to his heart. From that day on, he decided to be a kind and brave little donkey.
Days passed, and the little donkey grew up. He decided to leave the farm and travel the world to see bigger places. Mother Donkey was reluctant to let him go, but she packed him a small bundle with dry food and water. The little donkey said goodbye to his mother and set off on his journey.
He walked and walked, through fields and over small hills, until he came to a clump of bushes. Suddenly, he heard a faint chirping sound. He stopped and pricked up his long ears to listen carefully—the sound was coming from the bushes. He pushed aside the branches and found a little bird lying on the ground, with a wound on its wing that was bleeding. The little bird was shivering and trembling, its eyes full of fear.
"Don't be afraid, I'll help you," the little donkey said softly. He remembered how his mother had taught him to recognize herbs, so he searched carefully along the roadside. He picked three jagged leaves, two small yellow flowers, and one long stem—these were three kinds of herbs, no more, no less. He chewed the herbs in his mouth, gently applied them to the little bird's wound, and then bound the wound with the stem. The little bird looked at him gratefully and said softly, "Thank you, kind little donkey."
Thanks to the little donkey's careful care, the little bird's wound healed quickly. The little bird could fly again, but he did not leave right away. Instead, he flew around the little donkey, chirping and chattering: "Little donkey, you saved me, and I want to tell you something important. There is a spring in the forest that is the water source for many animals. But a few days ago, a big rock rolled down and blocked the spring. Now the water can't come out, and the animals are all terribly thirsty. Can you help them?"
The little donkey nodded without hesitation: "Take me to see." The little bird flew ahead, and the little donkey ran behind. They went through the dense forest and came to a deep part of the woods. Sure enough, a spring was completely blocked by a huge rock, and the ground around it was dry—not a single drop of water. Several little rabbits were hopping around the rock in a panic, and a little deer was licking its cracked lips and sighing helplessly.
The little donkey stepped forward and looked carefully at the rock. It was big and heavy, and with his strength he could not push it at all. He scratched his long ears and began to think of a plan.
The little donkey walked around the rock several times and tapped it with his hooves. He discovered that the rock was resting on a bed of small stones. A bright idea popped into his head! He found a thick branch and wedged it into a crack under the rock, then pushed with all his might. But the rock didn't budge an inch. The little donkey didn't give up. He called to Little Bird: "Can you help me call the other animals? If we all work together, we can do it!"
Little Bird flew off quickly to spread the news. Before long, Little Rabbit, Little Deer, Little Squirrel, and even a few hedgehogs came running. The little donkey took charge: "When I say one, two, three, everyone push together!" The animals braced their hooves and paws against the rock, the little donkey pried with the branch, and everyone pushed with all their strength. "One—two—three!" The rock wobbled. "Again! One—two—three!" With a loud rumble, the rock rolled away, and clear spring water came gushing out with a splash!
The animals cheered and danced around the spring. Little Rabbit scooped up a handful of water, took a sip, and shouted happily, "It's so sweet!" Little Deer said, "Little Donkey, you're so clever!" The little donkey smiled shyly, his long ears swaying gently in the sunlight.
The news that the spring was flowing again spread through the forest, and all the animals were very grateful to the little donkey. Little Rabbit gave him a basket of carrots, Little Deer balanced a bunch of wild berries on his antlers as a gift, and Little Squirrel stuffed the plumpest acorns into his pack. The little donkey felt warm and happy inside, but what made him happiest was seeing that everyone had water to drink again.
However, one fox was not happy at all. This fox lived on the other side of the forest, and he always thought he was the cleverest animal around. When he heard everyone praising the little donkey, he was so jealous he gnashed his teeth. "Hmph! A silly gray donkey—why should he get everyone's praise? I'll make a fool of him!"
So the fox dug a deep pit on the path the little donkey had to take, then covered it with branches and leaves so it looked just like the ordinary ground. He hid behind a tree, waiting to see the little donkey fall in. The little donkey came walking along with his pack, when suddenly his long ears twitched—he heard the hollow sound beneath the leaves. He stopped, looked carefully at the ground, and spotted the signs of the trap.
The little donkey didn't step on it. Instead, he walked around the trap. Just as he was about to pass by, he suddenly heard a "thump" and a startled cry behind him. He turned around—the fox had accidentally stepped on the edge of the trap and slid into the pit! The fox jumped and shouted from the bottom: "Help! Pull me up!"
The little donkey hurried back, took some dry food and water from his pack and handed them to the fox, then found a long vine. He dropped one end into the pit, bit the other end, and pulled with all his might. The fox grabbed the vine, and the little donkey pulled with all his strength, step by step backing up, until finally he pulled the fox out.
The fox was covered in dirt and looked very embarrassed. He lowered his head, his face flushed bright red, and said quietly, "I... I dug this trap to hurt you. Why did you still save me?" The little donkey flicked his long ears and said calmly, "Because when you see someone in trouble, you should help. It doesn't matter if they're my friend or not." Hearing this, the fox was so ashamed he wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground. He stammered, "I'm... I'm sorry, I was wrong. You are the truly clever one."
The little donkey forgave the fox and continued on his journey. He walked and walked, through the forest, across a small river, until he came to a village. The village had neat houses and lush green fields, but the mood was not cheerful—the villagers were gathered at the entrance, talking with worried frowns.
The little donkey stepped forward and asked politely, "Excuse me, what has happened?" An old grandfather sighed and said, "Alas, a fierce wild boar has been coming lately. Every night it charges into the fields and ruins the crops. We can't chase it away, and we can't fight it. If this keeps up, this year's harvest will be completely destroyed."
The little donkey looked at the crops lying scattered in the fields, then at the anxious faces of the villagers, and courage welled up in his heart. He puffed out his chest and said, "Don't worry, I'll help you think of a way." The villagers looked at each other. Though they doubted what a little gray donkey could do, they still nodded gratefully. The little donkey set down his pack and began to carefully study the land around the village.
The little donkey carefully studied the land around the village and noticed that the wild boar always sneaked in from the woods to the north. A bright idea struck him. He said to the villagers, "We can build a strong fence with wood and vines, leaving only one entrance, and set a trap there." The villagers were doubtful, but they followed his plan. The little donkey led everyone to chop wood and gather vines. They worked busily all day long, and finally a tall, sturdy fence was built. Sure enough, that night the wild boar came again. It crashed into the fence and howled in pain. It turned to run but found the entrance blocked by branches the donkey had placed. The boar charged angrily again and again, but the fence stood firm. The little donkey stood behind the fence and calmly directed the villagers to light torches and sound the gongs. The wild boar was terrified by the firelight and the noise. It turned tail and fled back into the woods, never daring to return. The villagers cheered and danced around the little donkey.
The next day, the villagers held a lively celebration to thank the little donkey. They filled the open space at the village entrance with delicious food: golden corn cakes, sweet apple pies, and a big pot of steaming vegetable soup. The villagers sang and danced around a bonfire and invited the little donkey to sit in the place of honor. The little donkey felt a bit shy; he had never received such treatment before. An old grandpa brought him a bowl of soup and said with a chuckle, "Little donkey, thanks to you, our crops are safe! You are the hero of our village!" The little donkey took the soup, feeling warm inside. For the first time, he experienced the joy of being accepted. It turned out that helping others could make him so happy. The celebration lasted late into the night, and the little donkey fell asleep sweetly amid the villagers' laughter.
Word of the little donkey's deeds soon reached the king's ears. The king was a wise and fair ruler. When he heard that an unassuming little donkey had helped the villagers drive away a fierce wild boar and even led them to build a fence, he was very curious. So he sent for the little donkey to come to the palace. For the first time, the little donkey stepped into the glittering great hall, so nervous that his four legs trembled. The king sat on a high throne and asked kindly, "Little donkey, I've heard you are very clever and brave. I want to test your loyalty. Would you be willing to take on a task?" The little donkey took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing." The king nodded in satisfaction and took out a sealed letter.
The king solemnly handed the letter to the little donkey and said, "This letter is very important. You must deliver it to the castle of the neighboring kingdom before nightfall. You may face difficulties on the way, but remember, no matter what, you must protect this letter." The little donkey took the letter, carefully placed it in his pocket close to his body, and set off. Halfway there, the sky suddenly darkened with clouds, a fierce wind blew, and raindrops as big as beans pelted down. The little donkey was soaked to the bone, but his biggest worry was the letter in his pocket. He quickly hid under a big tree and pressed his body tightly over the pocket to keep the rain from wetting the letter. The wind blew harder and the rain fell heavier. The little donkey shivered with cold, but he clenched his teeth and stayed still. Finally, the storm passed. The little donkey took out the letter and checked it. It was completely intact, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
The little donkey braved the wind and rain and finally reached the neighboring kingdom's castle before nightfall, delivering the letter safely and without a single scratch into the messenger's hands. When he returned to the palace to report, the king saw how muddy he was, yet how full of spirit, and was deeply moved. The king stepped down from his throne, patted the little donkey on the shoulder, and said, "You are not only brave and clever, but loyal and dependable too. This letter holds an important treaty. By protecting it, you protected the peace between two kingdoms. I will reward you with a piece of land, so you can build a home of your own." The little donkey could hardly believe his ears. He was so excited he couldn't speak—he just kept bowing again and again. The king smiled and placed the deed to the land in his hands, and the little donkey felt that all his hardships had been worth it.
Carrying the land the king had granted him, the little donkey returned to his hometown. As he walked into the village, the villagers were already waiting at the entrance. The moment they saw him, they cheered and crowded around. The animals who had once mocked him as "dusty gray" and "nothing special" now hung their heads in shame. The little donkey's mother came too. She gently licked his forehead and said, "My child, I am so proud of you." The little donkey looked at everyone, his heart full of gratitude. He said in a loud voice, "Thank you, everyone! This land isn't just for me. I want to use it to help every animal who needs help." When the villagers heard this, they clapped and cheered. From that day on, no one ever mocked the little donkey again—everyone treated him as a true hero.
With the land the king had granted him, the little donkey built an animal shelter. He put up several warm wooden huts, planted a vegetable garden, and dug a well. The shelter took in animals that were hurt, lost, or had no home to go to. The little donkey was busy every day—bandaging the wounds of injured little birds, helping lost bunnies find their mothers, and preparing soft dry hay for the elderly goat. The villagers often came to help too; some brought food, and some helped repair the houses. The shelter was filled with laughter and joy, and it became the warmest place in the whole village. Looking at all of this, the little donkey felt sweeter inside than if he had eaten honey. He knew that true value doesn't lie in appearances, but in kindness, cleverness, and loyalty.
As the days went by, the little donkey's shelter grew busier and busier. The little bird he had once saved often flew back to sing for him, the fox who had once been jealous of him became his good friend, and even the king sent a silk banner. The little donkey was busy at the shelter every day. It was hard work, but a happy smile always hung on his face. He often remembered what his mother had told him: "My child, appearances don't matter. What matters is that you have a kind heart." Now, at last, he understood what those words meant. Standing in front of the shelter, the little donkey gazed at the distant fields and said quietly in his heart, "True value comes from kindness, cleverness, and loyalty." And from then on, the little donkey and his friends lived happily together, and the shelter became a warm home for every animal.
