Doing It Again
Written by Leona NielsenPublished on February 2013
Doing It Again
The clouds hung heavy over the mountain waiting for Mother Nature to give the signal for the rain to start. Annie had been watching the clouds so intensely that she hadn’t noticed the bale of hay being carried past her. The rain was taking to long to start so she decided to see what the others were doing.
“What’s up Baby?”
“Nothing Annie.”
“NOTHING! Then why do you look like you’ve just lost a friend?”
“I have. ”
“I’m not going anywhere Baby.” Annie added.
“No, you’re not, but Joseph is.”
“WHAT!!! Is that why he is so clean and shiny?” Annie yelled.
“Yep.” Baby answered in a low voice.
“Joseph, where are you going?”
“To work.”
“Work? Baby what is Joseph talking about?”
“What he means, Annie, is that he is going to the Exhibition like he did last year. He is going to be competing.”
“Oh! like Rogue did?”
“Yes, that’s right Annie.” Baby answered.
“Joseph, why aren’t you excited? I would be.”
“You would be bouncing off the wall. I am going alone.”
Annie stopped, looking from Joseph to Baby who was dropping her head.
“It’s because of me isn’t it? Our owners think I need a babysitter again. That’s not fair I am not a baby and I can look after myself just fine!” Annie answered as she stuck her nose in the air.
“Come Annie, let me explain.” TC added as she walked in.
“I’m big enough TC that Baby doesn’t have to stay behind and Joseph go by himself!”
“Baby is staying here because of his allergies. Our owner thought instead of making him sick, they would leave him home and be safe. Baby understands why.”
“I do, but I don’t have to like it.” Baby said in a sad voice.
“I know Baby, maybe next year you will be able to go but for now you can keep your mind busy with Annie.”
Annie only heard the last few words of the sentence.
“See, I told you it was because of me!”
“Annie, didn’t you hear anything that TC said?” Baby asked.
“I did Baby, I was just being me.”
The morning passed rather quickly. The trailer was loaded with things needed for the next few days leaving Joseph the last to board.
“You know I’ll be cheering for you from here. Win a ribbon if you can Joseph but if you can’t it doesn’t matter as long as you do the best you can. No matter, we will still be friends forever.”
“I know you will be there with me and all the other stuff, but just in case ……” Joseph turned, opened his mouth and grabbed a little fur off Baby’s back.
“What did you do that for?” Baby asked, looking puzzled.
“I am taking some of your fur with me for good luck. Besides, you were getting me a little emotional.”
Baby laughed out loud.
“Right, you’re a donkey, protector of the herd and all that.”
“Yep. I got an image to protect.”
Baby had just put his neck on Joseph’s back when they heard…..“Can we have a group hug?”
Neither of them had noticed Annie standing nearby.
“Sure Annie, you certainly can. How long were you there?” asked Baby.
“Long enough to see the soft side of Joseph.”
“There goes your image Joseph.” Baby said as he smiled.
“I won’t say a word Joseph. It’s alright, isn’t it Baby, if you show what Joseph called emotional?”
“It’s emotions and yes it is Annie. You showed your emotions just a few minutes ago when you thought I was staying here to babysit.” Baby added.
“Oh! So I did!”
Everyone gathered around to watch the trailer as it disappeared down the road. Baby smiled to himself when he saw Joseph’s big ears sticking up like a radar.
As the trailer turned the corner Joseph heard…“Good luck and do your best” That made him feel not so alone. Time passed quickly at the barn while Joseph was away. Baby and Annie spent much of the time travelling with TC and Scout. By the fourth day the absence of Joseph was being felt more and more.
“When will Joseph be home Scout?” Annie asked.
“Soon. ”
“Oh! I have to run and tell Baby, Scout.”
“Ok Annie but I think you should bring Baby here.”
“Why Scout?”
Scout thought he had heard a faint sound of the trailer in the distance. He didn’t want to say anything just in case he was wrong. Moments later Annie arrived with Baby. He wasn’t sure what to expect.
“What’s wrong Scout?”
“Nothing Baby.”
“Then why did I have to come here with Annie?”
“Your questions will be answered if you just listen Baby.”
Annie wanted to know as well what they were supposed to be listening for.
Just then Baby picked up on the sound.
“Listen Annie and see if you can hear what I do.” Baby replied.
Annie perked up her ears as far as they would go to listen. Her eyes started getting bigger and bigger.
“That sounds like a trailer….COULD IT BE!” Annie shouted as she ran to the driveway.
Just then the trailer turned the corner.
“Hurry!! Hurry!! Everyone. Joseph is coming, he is coming home!”
Annie was so excited her whole body was vibrating.
Meanwhile, Joseph was sniffing the air for a familiar smell while his ears were twisting like a radar to detect a sound he could identify. Suddenly, the smell of the hay fields floated through the air.
“I think I am home.” Joseph thought to himself.
By the time the trailer pulled in the driveway Annie and Baby were so excited that they couldn’t stand still.
“I wish our owners could hear what I am about to say.”
“What is that Annie?” asked Baby.
“Hurry up and get Joseph off - pleeeeeeeeease!”
“It won‘t take long.” TC offered.
For Baby and Annie it seemed forever before the trailer door opened, and there stood Joseph so glad to be home.
“Joseph! Joseph! We are so glad to see you!”
“Me too.”
“Then come on down and join us.” Annie shouted.
“Not until our owners let me out. When that happens clear me a path” Joseph said.
Annie shook her head.
“Why would Joseph say that, Baby, when I am so glad to see him?”
“It’s nothing personal Annie, but I would do as he asked and you will see.”
As soon as Joseph was free he ran for the field.
“Baby, what is Joseph doing?”
Before Baby could answer Annie, Joseph was down in the dirtiest mud hole he could find.
“What did you have to do that for Joseph? Annie asked as Joseph rolled and rolled. “You were so clean.”
“I was too clean so I needed a little dirt to feel like me.”
“After you are finished do you suppose we could hear about your trip?” Baby asked.
“Let’s find TC and Scout and I’ll fill you in on my experience.” Joseph replied.
They all gathered under the big tree to hear about Joseph’s adventure.
“So much happened that I am not really sure where to start.” Joseph said.
“I can start.“ Annie shouted….“were there any other donkeys there?”
“Nope. I was the only one. When I was in the arena it was with the other miniature horses”.
Annie had another question but before she could talk TC wanted to say something.
“Maybe we should take turns asking Joseph a question and that way everyone gets a turn. Baby you‘re next.”
“Okay TC. Was there anyone there that I knew,Joseph ?”
“Yes there were Baby and I have a message from your brother Robin. Do you want to hear it now or later?”
“Later will be fine. I just wanted to know if he had been there.”
“Scout, is there something you would like to know?”
“As a matter of fact there is. Did you have anyone behind you in the stall Joseph?”
“Oh Scout I certainly did. When I arrived there was no one but when I woke up in the morning I had three big heads looking over the boards at me. They were cows. It was their first trip to the Exhibition, and on top of that they had never seen a donkey before. Annie, I thought you have a lot to say but nothing like those cows. They were like that bunny and kept going and going. I will say I am glad to be a donkey“.
“Why?” TC asked.
“Whenever their owners were there, they were giving them a bath and shaving them to make them look good. I thought I had it bad when it came to being bathed and shaved. Nothing like those cows. It’s a wonder their spots didn’t get rubbed off from all the water and soap they had."
“I would like to know how you like being in the arena.” TC said.
“I was better than the last time TC. The judge would ask for such things as a working trot, extended trot and a walk. I could feel our owner changing the tension on the reins, but being a donkey I just have two speeds….my speed and slow. I have to say I did move faster when we were doing poles. All of a sudden I heard the crowd yelling, “Come on Joseph you can do it!!!” I kept it up for as long as I could and they kept cheering me on. It made me feel like I wasn’t alone plus I was doing the best I could.”
“I have another question for Joseph, TC” Baby said.
“Go ahead Baby.”
“What were the people like that stopped to see you?”
“Let’s just say, like the cows, there were a lot that hadn’t seen a donkey. They wanted to touch me and play with my ears. All I heard were things like, ‘can I pat him‘, ‘Oh he is so soft‘, ‘look at his big ears‘, ‘I want to take him home‘, ‘what makes him so soft‘, ‘can you get him to make that funny noise‘.
After a while I was beginning to feel like a pin cushion - a good one that is. I did get a little cranky once. We had been in the arena twice and my harness had to stay on between trips. By the time we were finished I was tired. I wanted my supper and some rest. The cows were talking and talking as well as the people around me. I turned my back and stood in the corner not saying a word to anyone. I was over it in a minute and things returned to normal. I have to say, it was a lot of fun. Oh yes, Baby, the geese and ducks were there too!”
“I don’t feel that bad now for not being able to go.”
“You don’t like geese and ducks Baby?”
“Let’s just say, Annie, I can do without the noises they make.”
“Is there anything else anyone would like to know?”
“I have something, TC.”
“Go ahead Scout.”
“I didn’t see any ribbons. Did you get any Joseph?”
“For that, I think we should go in the barn and see.”
Baby knew that Joseph would come home with something but when he saw the wall ……
“Yes, Scout, I did get a ribbon but it’s the trophy.”
“Why? Because it is bigger?” Annie wanted to know.
“No Annie, because of what it stands for. When we were all finished and ready to come home all the owners gathered together to receive their awards. They gave us this trophy. They said it was given for having good Sportsmanship“.
“What does that mean?” asked Annie.
“Maybe, TC, you can explain it for me?”
“I would be pleased to do that Joseph. It is when you are doing your best and knowing you might not win but do your best anyway and still feel proud of what you have done. Also, you have played fair and treated others with respect. That’s sportsmanship“.
“Is this trophy important?” Annie wanted to know.
“Yes, Annie, it is and I am so proud to bring it home to the barn because it is for all of us, not just me and our owners. It will always remind us that no matter what we do, to do it with sportsmanship. I am proud of my ribbon as well because it tells me I am getting better each time I go“.
TC could see that Joseph was getting tired.
“It has been a busy day for all, especially Joseph. I think it is time for bed Little Ones.”
“I need to have my supper first, TC.”
“I guess I got excited about seeing Joseph home as well that I forgot about supper.”
Everyone laughed as they ran off to eat.Before Baby closed his eyes he looked at Joseph.
“It is so good to have you home. It was lonely here without you.”
“You’re getting Joseph emotional again Baby” Annie added.
“Good night Annie.”
“By the way Baby, Robin wanted you to know that he is doing fine and was sorry that he didn’t see you."
Baby didn’t answer Joseph but closed his eyes remembering the days when he and Robin played in the field.
“I am going to sleep like a baby tonight, but before I do - where is Baby’s fur that you took for good luck Joseph? ” Annie asked.
“Right here under the hay I have for my pillow.”
“Good night Little Ones.”
“Good night TC and Scout.”
Hi everyone! We are back after our summer break with many stories from our summer that we will share with you in the coming months. We hope that all of you enjoyed a great summer as well. This time we learned a lot about doing the best you can. When you do, it gives you a sense of pride in yourself and in what you have done. Next time, our story will be “Home Alone…Almost.”See you then and stay safe.
Baby, Joseph,Scout and Little Annie