The young donkey wedged a tall stalk of clover between his huge ears. It drooped forward like a silly hat. He tugged it with his teeth.
A breeze huffed and blew the clover right off his nose. The young donkey dragged the sprig toward the patch of grass at the meadow's edge.
He waddled into the tall grass and pressed his long ears flat against his back. Every step made them pop up like two floppy flags.
The young donkey tucked one ear under his leg and held his breath. A blue butterfly landed on the pointed tip and fluttered its wings.
He couldn't help himself. The young donkey wiggled his nose, sneezed, and the butterfly took flight.
The sun dipped low and painted the farm gold. The young donkey pulled a dandelion over his head when he heard a tiny squeaky voice.
Cheep? Cheep?" called from the darkening bushes. The young donkey froze, the dandelion bobbing over his eyes, and stared into the shadows.
He dropped the dandelion and stood tall. His enormous ears swiveled left, then right, catching every rustle and whisper.
The left ear perked at a scratch near the old oak. The right ear tilted toward a soft whimper behind the hay bale.
The young donkey pushed through a curtain of vines. A shivering baby sparrow sat there, its yellow down ruffled and small.
The young donkey nudged the baby sparrow with his nose and marched toward a low branch. His long ears bobbed proudly with every step.
The mother sparrow swooped down with a happy chirp. The young donkey stayed below, his huge ears catching the gentle rhythm of the baby's soft breathing.