Listen to What the Animals are Saying

Prompt 1: Write a story from the perspective of a non-human or fairy tale character sharing their side of the story.

Prompt 2: Write a story that includes the phrase “once upon a time…”, “in a land far, far away…”, or happily ever after…”

Listen to What the Animals are Saying

Once upon a time in a land far, far away. …oh golly, it is so hard to write this. It’s not because I don’t believe in my story, but it really is difficult to write it. If I had fingers or even toes, I could do this, but I was given hooves at birth. It would be like a human wearing glove on his feet and toes trying to type at a keyboard. It’s taken me a long time to write my story. Oops, xxxx. excuse my errant scribbles.

I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Chamor Katan” which means “little donkey” in Hebrew. Don’t call me a mule or burro and certainly don’t call me late to the feeding trough. Hee-haw, hee-haw. Pardon me as I bray over my own joke.

If you are a human reading this story, you’re probably wondering how a donkey can even write let alone express words using a legitimate language (although I have had my doubts about the English language like ‘Yo, dude. What’s up?’)

It goes like this. Humans and a few animals alike think we are the masters of our lives. As much as we would like to think that, it is not the case. We are not. Our Creator has other ideas. For instance, perhaps you are thinking talking animals are nothing more than a fairy tale. Nay, nay, nay, hee-haw.

Guess again. Have you heard this? My father shared this story about God giving speech to Balaam’s donkey to warn him about an angel with a sword. How did my father know? He was Balaam’s donkey at the time.

Here’s how it goes:

“This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff. Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam. “You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!” “But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?” “No,” Balaam admitted. Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.” (Numbers 22:27-31 NLT)

So, know this well! With God all things are possible. I understand how the power of God allows Him to do anything He wants. I can only guess that I was given the gift of speech passed down from my father because God has a special purpose for me and secondly, He has a sense of humor. So, I am sweating like a pig to present my story to you as it really happened through my eyes and from the words of my fellow critters who were there at the time.

Hence, I repeat, once upon a time in a land far, far away, l was chosen by a young man to transport a very pregnant woman. I was a young donkey at the time; I guess I was three years old in human terms. My master put his wife on my back as he guided me for miles and miles through a vast wilderness. The air was crisp because steam came from my nose as I snorted along the way. A very large star appeared shining brightly just over the nearby countryside. eventually my master made me stop. We ended up in some podunk town. They had no clue as to where they were going to stay. Likewise, I had no place for me to bed down for the night. The only available spot was a rickety shack that doubled as a storage stable for livestock. It had a feeding trough. Eating from it was a burly old ox. Next to him was a camel nestled in the corner dozing. Well, I was ok with the stable, but I could sense disappointment from the man. He was beside himself because the woman’s water broke sending her into intense labor.

Shortly afterwards she birthed a baby boy. They wrapped him in a bunch of clothes and then had the audacity to lay him in our feeding trough.

The burly ox was not amused. He bellowed to me “what’s with this? Who does He think He is to occupy my space?” The ox looked up at the star and stopped his bellowing. He looked over to me saying, “something big is going to happen with this boy. It will begin tonight. I feel it.”

Startled by the ox’s raucous bellows, the camel spewed these comments. “There is a commotion out in the fields. I feel the earth rumbling. We should expect some visitors very soon.”

I brayed” look on the horizon I see some sheep headed our way. They are leading the way, not their shepherds.”

One by one the many sheep stopped at the trough nodding their heads in approval. Then one of them exclaimed,

“There were voices from the skies. Heavenly beings saying that a King had been born in a stable. Under the star in a stable they said. Here He is!”

The baby cooed. There was complete silence. All the animals lay before the King of heaven and earth as did the shepherds.

“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:11-14 NKJV)

This was how my incredible story began. I could not remain quiet about it especially since my Creator gave me the gift of gab! Many years have passed since then. I am feeble now and not as sturdy and steady as I once was 30 years ago. Now I sense a foreboding as I carry that boy, now a fully grown man, into the city. I feel something terrible will happen to Him. Yet I feel He will still make all things new and bring hope because He is a King. His parents had named Him Jesus. I heard the parents say He would be the Lord and Savior of the world saving mankind from their sins.

The people of His time didn’t listen to Him despite His many miracles and teachings of the Scriptures. I never saw Him again after we rode into the city together. Nonetheless, I heard from other animals that He was alive even after dying a violent death.

Still doubtful about talking animals? If you won’t listen to the animals don’t wait around for anything else to soften your hardened heart to the glory and omnipotent nature of God!

“He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:3-7 NKJV)

-END- (rather the beginning of a new creation)

NKJV=New King James Version

Author: Peter Gautchier

Acknowledgement:WReedsy.com Prompts