HN Explorer

14 comments

[ 0.23 ms ] story [ 57.7 ms ] thread
dodoc
The Donkey

By G. K. Chesterton

When fishes flew and forests walked

   And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood

   Then surely I was born.
With monstrous head and sickening cry

   And ears like errant wings,
The devil’s walking parody

   On all four-footed things.
The tattered outlaw of the earth,

   Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,

   I keep my secret still.
Fools! For I also had my hour;

   One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,

   And palms before my feet.
DeathArrow
Who doesn't love donkeys? I can foresee donkeys threatening the rule of cats over the internet.
uhtred
Donkeys are lovely creatures. It's sad they get abused so horrendously.
world2vec
This! Where I grew up, very rural area, people used to have a lot of horses, mules and donkeys for hard menial work. Horses are very finicky and "aristocratic" beasts and very temperamental sometimes. Mules and donkeys tho, they were always so docile and easy to work. So easy that my grandpa would let me (a 8 year old or so?) guide the donkey (a specific breed from here, Miranda Donkey [0]) around the village carrying whatever was needed, mostly sacks of potatoes. He'd load the donkey in the farm and I'd just gently tug the leash and off we went all the way home, never once had an issue while I had a serious one with his mule (a huge, stubborn girl called Blondie) but probably my fault not hers. Only thing donkeys don't like, IME, is walking backwards. :D

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burro_de_Miranda

msrenee
Those are some very cute donkeys! As much time as I've spent around horses and even mules, I've only really gotten to play with a couple donkeys. There's just not a lot of them around here. It's a shame. I'd have to ask the woman who owns the barn I board at, but I've got a feeling she doesn't even accept them for board on account of the braying.
world2vec
The braying! It is quite loud sometimes but you get used to it.
msrenee
She lives on the property and I'd be very surprised if she was willing to get used to it, lol. If I had my own place, I'd have a donkey already. Good security critters and fluffy and sweet. And peacocks, speaking of obnoxious and cute. And guinea fowl. Maybe I just like noisy animals.
world2vec
They do add some charming soundtrack to the place. I also like peacocks a lot, lived near the Lisbon Zoo many years ago and peacocks were lovely. The only noisy animal there that I never got used to were the howler monkeys (a whole chorus every sunrise on the dot was too much for me).
chucksta
Had donkey confused with mule and was expecting some sort of joke. Mules are a cross bread of donkey and horse and are effectively sterile, ergo no tree.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule

oh_sigh
Don't forget the hinny - a mule is only a male donkey/female horse offspring - hinny is the reciprocal and has very distinct characteristics, similar to how tigrons/ligers are distinct.
bitxbitxbitcoin
There needs to be an offshoot for jackass adoptees. Ie for jackrabbits which is actually a portmanteau of Jack-ass rabbit granted by Mark Twain to the black tailed jackrabbit of the Great Basin.
throwayyy479087
Awesome. Donkeys are the best. Friendly, grumpy little things.