Hitchin' a Ride to Minnesota

To my sweet children who were very saddened by the departure of their dearly beloved donkeys. Based on the true story of Fletch and Pearl.

Once upon a time not so very long ago there lived a sweet donkey named Fletch. No one knew exactly how old Fletch was. People guessed but Fletch would just laugh at them and kept his little secret. But old Fletch was a nice strapping, good looking donkey. He was born with a love for adventure. When he was just a baby he decided that the dry west Texas prairie was nice but he wanted to see more. So it was that he said good bye to his mom and dad and his brothers and sisters. His owner happily loaded him up and took him to a new home. This new home had lots and lots of children. They thought Fletch would be very happy there.

Fletch loved his new home. But eventually he grew lonely. His mom and dad and brothers and sister were not there and he had no animal friends at all. The children were so sweet and good to him but Fletch was still lonely for his very own donkey friend. Then suddenly one Saturday morning there stood a girl donkey on the other side of the fence. Someone did not want her anymore and she was very very sad. Fletch became her best friend and there they stood with him on one side of the fence and her on the other. She asked and asked to come into his pasture so they could be together. Finally Fletch asked the children if she could stay too and they were very excited he wanted to keep her. The children went running into the house begging their parents if they could please keep the new donkey. Their parents went and looked and felt so sad for the new donkey and said that she could stay. But she was very scared of her new people and didn't know how sweet they were. The entire family had to help and for two long hours on that Saturday morning they chased her all over their small town trying to get her in the fence. Finally she ran in and Fletch was so excited. They hugged and ran and rolled in all the dirt. The family named her Pearl.

Pearl and Fletch lived there for one year together as they became best friends. The children would come and feed them apples, hamburgers, goldfish, celery, and corn and all kinds of other good food. They were very loved. Fletch was happy but he had never forgotten that he wanted to see more of the world. One morning he woke up and asked Pearl if she was tired of living here. It was hot and dusty and there was no green grass to eat. He dreamed of huge rolling pastures and of nice sunny cool days where he could stand outside all day long and not get hot. Neither Pearl not Fletch had ever seen lush green grass before. They had only seen the dry, dusty, west Texas dirt and all of the cactus that were in their pastures. Fletch thought cactus were pretty but they were thorny and prickly and hurt when he would try to eat them. One day as he was trying to scratch the thorns out of his nose the horse next door told him of the beautiful pastures in Minnesota that had no cactus at all and were full of lush green grass where beautiful blue rivers ran through them. Fletch knew right then he wanted to go to Minnesota. The family was very good to them and brought them hay to eat but still Fletch longed to smell the green grass, roll in the big pastures and eat the fresh hay. He talked to Pearl and her excitement grew. Blondie the horse had said there were many many more donkeys in this new land too. And Fletch and Pearl loved meeting new friends.

Their family was very very sad that Fletch and Pearl wanted to leave. They loved them very much. The children cried and hugged them as the big man with the red headed little boy arrived with their great big trailer. Fletch and Pearl were a little scared since they had never been out of Texas so they ran away from the big man. But the big gruff man was kind and talked gently to them. The family's children talked and talked to them and told them that they were going to Minnesota and that they would be very happy there. Pearl listened carefully and finally walked up into the trailer. She called and called to Fletch. Fletch heard her calling and finally ran to the trailer too. As the children talked to him and he saw Pearl ready to go he remembered all of the reasons he longed to see Minnesota and he finally climbed in excitedly.

With Fletch and Pearl both loaded up onto the big trailer they became more and more excited. In the trailer were many more donkeys that also had heard of this great new land with fresh green grass. The donkeys already in the trailer greeted him and honked as they met their new friends. Fletch and Pearl were very happy. The children were happy for them as they hugged and loved them one more time and tearfully said good bye. They were going to a place where they could run free in the big green pastures where there were no cactus and dry dusty dirt. The big man with the red headed little boy started up his truck and they slowly pulled away.

It took them a very long time to get to Minnesota. The trailer rumbled along as they watched the sun set and then rise and then set again. Finally early one morning the sun was barely up in the eastern sky when the trailer pulled to a stop. Fletch and Pearl looked out their window and saw the most beautiful land they had ever seen. There were beautiful green pastures with white fences criss-crossing for miles. They were welcomed into a big red barn that was warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The barn had lots and lots of hay, fresh cool blue water in their water troughs and lots of oats in their feed bins. Big barn doors were open wide as Fletch and Pearl stepped into their new land. The next spring in the green pastures of Minnesota Fletch and Pearl had a baby named Opal. And they were a very, very happy family where the green grass grows.