On a humid summer day, a skinny, healthy foal was born. Her name was undecided
for many weeks. As her neighbor, who was only two years old, danced around her,
he said aloud to the other horses,
“She is so graceful and small,” and leaned down to place a small kiss her cheek. The foal’s parent knew that this young donkey, Donovan, was going to be in their baby’s life because they were best friends with Donovan’s parents. They thought a lot about what Donovan had said and decided on the name Grace.
Donovan never left Grace’s side since the day she was born and everyone thought they were destined to be together.
Until Now.
Before Tiffany Tiger wandered up Misty Mountain, nothing had ever separated Grace and Donovan. But, Tiffany was not like any other animal Donovan had talked to. She had the most beautiful fur, it was the shiniest, brightest orange, silkiest fur Donovan had ever seen. Grace had always followed rules and been a goody-two-hooves.
Something about Tiffany made Donovan Donkey keep his hooves out of the mud. Maybe it was the way she growled at any animal who came near. Or maybe it was the way she prowled around the mountain, flicking her tail right and left as she delicately placed her paws on the lush, green grass, looking fiercer than all the other animals. He wasn’t sure, but something about Tiffany Tiger made Donovan feel like he had butterflies in his stomach.
It took all of his guts to go up to Grace and break her heart, but he tried to be as nice as possible. “Grace,” he sympathized.
“You’re so beautiful, you truly are. But I think we should just stay friends and see other animals. I like you, I do, but I think we are dating because we are under the pressure of what our parents and friends want for us. I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and I think that maybe we should see what it would be like to spend time with other animals. I’m really sorry.” Donovan watched Grace gallop away, sniffling, and her big, brown eyes shiny with tears. Donovan sighed, but he knew he had done what was best for himself.
It took all of Donovan Donkey’s courage to admit to Tiffany Tiger that he liked her. Tiffany’s reaction was strange. She did nothing but look Donovan in the eye and say “You’re not my type.”
And with that, Tiffany stalked away from him, flicking her long, gorgeous tail behind her. Donovan could not believe his ears. He stared blankly at Tiffany, his large eyes wider than ever in shock, until she was nothing but a speck on the horizon. Without thinking, Donovan looked towards where Grace had run off to and debated whether or not he should apologize.
Donovan realized he’d made a big mistake and he regretted leaving Grace. Donovan suddenly understood that he should have just been happy with what he had because he can’t always get what he wants. Grace moved on, surprisingly, quickly and had three foals with another horse she fell in love with. Donovan ended up never staying friends with Grace, or Tiffany, and died as an old, lonely, donkey, with no children or a mate, many years later.