African Storybook
Menu
Donkey child
Lindiwe Matshikiza
Meghan Judge
English
It was a little girl who first saw the mysterious shape in the distance.
As the shape moved closer, the girl saw that it was a heavily pregnant woman.
Shy but brave, the little girl moved nearer to the woman.

"We must keep her with us," the little girl's people decided. "We'll keep her and her child safe."
The child was soon on its way. Everyone wanted to help.

"Push!" "Bring blankets!" "Water!" "Puuuuusshh!"
But when they saw the baby, everyone jumped back in shock.

"A donkey!"
Everyone began to argue. "We said we would keep mother and child safe, and that's what we'll do," said some.

"But they will bring us bad luck!" said others.
And so the woman found herself alone again.

She wondered what to do with this awkward child. She wondered what to do with herself.
But finally she had to accept that he was her child and she was his mother.

Now, if the child had stayed that same, small size, everything might have been different.
But the donkey child grew and grew until he could no longer fit on his mother's back. And no matter how hard he tried, he could not behave like a human being.

His mother was often tired and frustrated. Sometimes she made him do work meant for animals.
Confusion and anger built up inside Donkey. He couldn't do this and he couldn't do that. He couldn't be like this and he couldn't be like that.

He became so angry that, one day, he kicked his mother to the ground.
Donkey was filled with shame.

He ran away as far and as fast as he could.
By the time he stopped running, it was night, and Donkey was lost. "Hee haw?" he whispered to the darkness. "Hee Haw?" it echoed back.

He was all alone. Curling himself into a tight ball, he fell into a deep and troubled sleep.
Donkey woke up to find a strange old man staring down at him.

He looked into the old man's eyes and started to feel a twinkle of hope.
Donkey went to stay with the old man, who taught him many different ways to survive.

Donkey listened and learned, and so did the old man. They helped each other, and they laughed together.
One morning, the old man asked Donkey to carry him to the top of a mountain.
High up amongst the clouds they fell asleep.

Donkey dreamed that his mother was sick and calling to him.
When Donkey woke up, the clouds had disappeared along with his friend, the old man.
Donkey finally knew what to do.
Donkey found his mother, alone and mourning her lost child.

They stared at each other for a long time. And then hugged each other very hard.
The donkey child and his mother have grown together and found many ways of living together.

Slowly, all around them, other families have started to settle.
You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:
Donkey child
Author - Lindiwe Matshikiza
Illustration - Meghan Judge
Language - English
Level - First paragraphs
© Text: Lindiwe Matshikiza, Artwork: African Storybook Initiative 2015
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org
Original source www.donkeychildprojects.org
Menu
  • Navigate

    Navigate through the story by swiping right or left or clicking when the cursors changes to an arrow on the right or the left edge of the screen.

    Tap or click on the centre of the page to see, or remove the menu bars at the top and the bottom of the screen. You can also use the ESC key.

    You can use the slider at the bottom as a way to move quickly through the story. On a mobile device tap on the slider before you drag the slider button.

    Click or tap to return to African Storybook.

  • Share
    If you have a Twitter or Facebook account, you can share this story on your page or a page you manage. You can also copy the web link (URL) for this story.
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Url
  • Rate
    Other visitors rated this story

    Tell us how much you liked the story – drag the scroller to highlight one or more stars
    • Submit
  • Comment
    Read other people’s comments on the story, or add your own.
    • Enter your comment
    • Name
    • E-mail
    • Post
  • Translations and adaptations
    • Donkie-Kind
      Afrikaans (Translation)
    • የተለየ ልጅ
      Amharic (Translation)
    • صغير الحمار
      Arabic (Translation)
    • Abofra Sononko
      Asante Twi (Translation)
    • Mwana Anoshamisa
      ChiShona (Translation)
    • Nyathi Ma Nyakare
      Dhopadhola (Translation)
    • Different baby
      English (Adaptation)
    • Donkey child (Colour-in)
      English (Adaptation)
    • UMbhongolo, usana olusisimanga
      isiXhosa (Translation)
    • Umntwana ongajwayelekile
      isiZulu (Translation)
    • Umwana w'Indogobe
      Kinyarwanda (Translation)
    • Mtoto Punda
      Kiswahili (Translation)
    • Omwana oghendhaghulo
      Lusoga (Translation)
    • Akalogoyi Akaazaalibwa Omuntu
      Lusoga (Translation)
    • Ikoku Sikiria
      Ng’aturkana (Translation)
  • Download to read
    Landscape version
  • Download to print
    Portrait (booklet) version
  • Download EPUB