The Lost Donkey Who Saved Christmas

By Derek W Smith

All Roy wanted for Christmas was a nice warm blanket to wrap around him and keep the cold out. Unfortunately, Farmer William Charles, his lifelong friend, who had promised to bring Roy one of his very own blankets, had fallen asleep in front of the wonderful hot log fire. Try as he might, Roy kicked and kicked at the farmhouse door, but he just

• Language: English
• Publisher: Derek W Smith
• Release date: Apr 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781802274516

Book preview

The Lost Donkey

WHO SAVED

CHRISTMAS

By

Derek W Smith

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2022 Derek Smith

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review.

First paperback edition April 2022

Book design by Publishing Push

ISBNs

Paperback: 978-1-80227-450-9

eBook: 978-1-80227-451-6

Published by PublishingPush.com

Original Cover Artwork by Derek Smith

For all her help, Margaret.

For my brother 7 of 8

1

L

ong before the first snows of winter started to fall, Roy, the donkey, knew this was going to be the coldest winter ever. He didn’t need to hear the broken radio crackling away in the farmhouse with the weatherman’s dire warnings, because Roy could read all the signs. With just one look at a spider’s web, he could tell if it was going to be a hot or a rainy day, and now, as he listened to the rusty weather vane spinning round, he knew that once its screeching sound had fallen silent and it pointed to the north, the bitter sharp ravages of winter wouldn’t be too far behind. The thought of icicles hanging from rooftops sent shivers running down his back. With no time to waste, Roy had to find a way to close all the doors and tighten down the hatches. For years, the old barn had stood more than its fair share of the changing seasons, and, with no one handy with a hammer and nails, it had fallen into disrepair. How much more of a battering could the old barn take? Roy could only fear the worst.

It’s hard to believe that many years ago, this once flourishing farm and surrounding fields were the pride of the county, a hub of activity where groups of children came on school outings to help feed the cattle and learn how hard a farmer’s life truly was. But most of all, the children loved nothing more than to cuddle and bottle-feed the baby lambs.

In a lush green meadow of daisies and buttercups, rescued donkeys had been stripped of their bridles and blinkers and given the chance to once again run free with friends. Never again would they feel the stinging whip of pain, or be harnessed into backbreaking work; not here. This was home, a sanctuary. And it was here that Roy, the only donkey ever to be born at this sanctuary, knew the true meaning of freedom.

But time is a friend to no man and as the years start flying past, things you could do with ease when you were younger, were now almost impossible to upkeep. The sweet-smelling meadows soon became an overgrown jungle of weeds and sharp thistles. Even the wooden fencing that once kept the donkeys safe from harm lay scattered and broken, tossed aside by the four winds. Stables and barns that once rang out to the sounds of children laughing now stood silent as the farm became unfit for school outings, and as the last of the coaches left, so did all hope.

In a ramshackle stable stall, Roy the donkey lives a lonely life amidst missing roof tiles and gaping holes, great for watching shooting stars fly by, but miserably cold and horribly wet when it starts raining, soaking everything inside, including Roy. The only friend who brings a little light into his life is a robin called Robbie who comes and goes at a whim, but whenever he comes for a little chat, he is the best company that anyone could ask for.

William Charles, or Farmer Bill as he was once fondly known, was a great man, a man of the people who was as proud as he was hard-working; an upright pillar of the community. His farm and livestock were renowned throughout the county, winning many more trophies and rosettes than he had room to display. Whenever William Charles sold his cattle at market, his W. C. brand mark was always greeted with childish laughter and banter, but they always commanded premium prices.

In his younger carefree days, nothing was ever too much to ask of Bill. He was as generous as he was helpful, always the first to drop everything to help out stranger or friend alike. With Bill on your side, fighting in your corner, everything was