How the Donkey Became PDF

# How The Donkey Became Ted Hughes - How The Whale Became There was one creature that never seemed to change at all. This didn't worry him, though. He hated the thought of becoming any single creature. Oh no, he wanted to become all creatures together, all at once. He used to practise them all in...

# How The Donkey Became Ted Hughes - How The Whale Became There was one creature that never seemed to change at all. This didn't worry him, though. He hated the thought of becoming any single creature. Oh no, he wanted to become all creatures together, all at once. He used to practise them all in turn - first a lion, then an eagle, then a bull, then a cockatoo, and so on - five minutes each. He was a strange-looking beast in those days. A kind of no-shape-in-particular. He had legs, sure enough, and eyes and ears and all the rest. But there was something vague about him. He really did look as if he might suddenly turn into anything. He was called Donkey, which in the language of that time meant 'unable to stick to one thing'. >"You'll never become anything," the other creatures said, "until you stick to one thing and that thing alone." >"Become a lion with us," the Lion-Becomers said. "You're so good at lioning it's a pity to waste your time eagling." >And the eagles said: “Never mind lioning. You should concentrate on becoming an eagle. You have a gift for it.” All the different creatures spoke to him in this way, which made him very proud. So proud, in fact, that he became boastful. >"I'm going to be an every kind,” Donkey cried, kicking up his heels. "I'm going to be a Lionocerangoutangadinf." Half the day he spent on a high exposed part of the plain practicing at his creatures where everyone could see him. The other half he spent sleeping in the long grass. "I'm growing so fast,” he used to say, “I need all the sleep I can get.” ## Vague - Not Clear But Donkey had a secret worry. He had no means of earning his living. He couldn't earn his living as a lion - not when he only practiced at lion five minutes a day. He couldn't earn his living as any other creature either - for the same reason. So he had to beg. >"When you see me grow up into a Lionocerangoutangadinf,” he said, as he begged a mouthful of fish from Otter, "you'll be glad you helped me when I was only learning." And he went off kicking up his heels. Before long the animals grew tired of his begging. It took them all day to find food enough for themselves. So whenever Donkey came up to them to beg they began to tease him: >"What?” they cried. "Aren't you the finest, greatest creature in the world yet? What have you been doing with your time?" This made Donkey furious. He galloped off to a high hill, and there he sat, brooding. >"The trouble is,” he said, “there's no place among these creatures for somebody with real ambition. But one day I'll make them stare. I'I be a better lion than lion, a better eagle than eagle, and a better kangaroo than kangaroo – and all at the same time. Then they'll be sorry." All the same, he wished he could earn his living without having to beg. As he sat, he heard a long sigh. He looked around. He hadn't noticed that he was so near Man's farm. He looked over the fence and saw Man sitting beside a well, with his head resting in his hands. As he looked, Man gave another sigh. >"What's the matter?" asked Donkey. Man looked up. ## exposed - open to everyone's view ## brooding - worrying ## ambition - desire to achieve >"I'm weary,” he said. “Drawing water from this well is hard work." >"Hard?" Donkey cried. "If it's strength you're wanting, here I am. I'm the strongest creature on these plains." >"But still not strong enough to draw water,” sighed Man. >"Just watch this." Donkey marched across, took hold of the long pole that stuck out over the well, and began to drag it round. He had often seen Man doing this, so he knew how. Water gushed out of a pipe on to Man's field of corn. >"Wonderful!" cried Man. "Wonderful!" Donkey flattened back his ears and pulled all the harder. Man danced around him, crying: >"You're a marvel.Oh, what I wouldn't give to have you working for me." As he said that, Donkey got an idea. He stopped. >"If you'll give me food," he said, "I'll do this every day for you.” >"It's a bargain!" said Man. So Donkey started to work for Man. Only a little bit each morning, mind you. He still spent most of the day out on the plains practicing at all his creatures. Then he retired early to sleep in the little shed that Man had made for him - it was dark, out of the wind, and the floor was covered with deep straw. Lovely! There he would lie till it was time for work next morning. One day Man said to him, “If you'll work twice as long for me, I'll give you twice as much food." Donkey thought, "Twice as much food means twice as much strength. And if I'm going to be a Lionocerangoutangadinf well -- I shall need all the strength that's going." So he agreed to work twice as long. Next day, Man asked him the same again. Donkey agreed. And the next day, and again Donkey agreed. He was now working from dawn to dusk. But the pile of food that Man gave him at the day's end! Well, after eating it, Donkey could do nothing but lie down on his straw and snore. After about a week of this he suddenly thought: >"Here I am, being gloriously fed. Getting stronger and stronger. But I never have time to practise at my creatures. How can I hope to become a Lionocerangoutangadinf if I never practise my creatures?" So what did he do? He couldn't very well practise while he was working. The sight and sound of it would have terrified Man, and Donkey didn't want to lose his job. So he did the only thing he could. He began to practise in his head. Soon he got to be wonderfully good at this. He could fancy himself any creature he wished - a mountain goat, for instance, leaping among the clouds from crag to crag, or a salmon, climbing a swift fierce torrent - for hours at a time, all in his head. He would quite forget that he was only walking round a well. Once or twice Man removed him from the well and set him to draw a plough. But Donkey was so absorbed in practicing at his creatures inside his head that he forgot to turn at the end of the furrow. He went ploughing straight on, through the hedge and into the next field. After this, Man never asked him to do anything but walk around the well, and Donkey was quite contented. So it went on for several years, and Donkey fancied that he was becoming more and more skilful at his creatures. "I mustn't be in too great a hurry,” he said to himself. "I want to be better at everything than every other creature – so a little bit more practice won't hurt." So he went on. Always staying on with Man for just a little bit more practice inside his head. >"Soon," he kept saying, "soon I shall be perfect." At last it seemed to Donkey he was nearly perfect. "A few more days, just a few more days!" Then he would burst out on to the plains, the first Lionocerangoutangadinf. Within three days, perhaps even within two, the animals would crown him their king - he was sure of that. Just as he was thinking these lovely thoughts he heard a sudden cry He looked up and saw Man running towards his house, his arms in the air. At the same moment, over the high fence, came Lion. Donkey stood, and watched Lion out of the corner of his eye. He tilted one fore-foot carelessly. Lion stared at him. At last, making his voice sound as friendly as he could, Donkey said: "My word, Lion-Becomer, you've changed. Are you Lion yet?" Lion turned away from him without a word and walked up the path. When he reached Man's house, he stood up on his hind legs and, lifting one paw, like a lion in a coat of arms, began to beat upon the door. ## coat of arms - a picture symbol of a family or kingdom ## crag - steep cliff ## torrent - rapidly flowing water >"Throw out your wife and children, Man!" he roared. Man was crouching under the table inside the house, trembling, not daring to breathe. Finally Lion got tired of beating the door, which was of thick wood and studded with big bolts. He turned round and began to sniff among the outhouses and gardens. He came to Donkey again, who was still propped idly on one fore-leg beside the well. >"Hello again, Lion," said Donkey, and he let his voice be ever such a little bit scornful. "Your hunting isn't so good, is it? I think I could give you a lesson or two in lioning." Lion stared, amazed. >"Now," thought Donkey, "now to reveal my true self. Now to reveal what I have made myself after all these years of hard practice." And he gave a great leap and roared. >"See!" he cried. "This is the way!" And again he leapt and roared, leapt and roared. He became so taken up with his lioning that he completely forgot about Lion. So, though it seemed to him he was doing a wonderful lion, he was really only kicking out his heels stiffly, and sending up a harsh bray. But he was delighted with himself. He went on, leaping and roaring, as he thought, leaping and roaring, so that his harness clattered, the long pole bounced and banged, and Lion screwed up his eyes in the dust from the kicking-out feet. At last Lion could stand it no longer. He raised his paw, and with one blow knocked Donkey clean into the well. He then jumped back over the fence and returned to his wife, who was waiting on the skyline. Poor Donkey! When Man hauled him out of the well he was in a sorry state. But he was a wiser Donkey. That night he ate his oats and lay down with a new feeling. No more Lionocerangoutangadinf for him. No more pretending to be every creature. >"It's best to face the truth," he said to himself, "and the truth is I'm neither a lion nor an eagle. I am a well fed, comfortable, hard -working Donkey." He could hear the lions roaring hungrily out on the plains, and he thought of the antelopes running hither and thither looking for a safe corner and a place out of the wind. He pushed his head under the warm straw, and smiled into the darkness, and fell into a deep sleep. # Understanding The Story 1. In the beginning of time what kind of a creature was a donkey? 2. What did the donkey mean when he said boastfully, - "I'm going to be an everykind. I'm going to be a Lionocerangoutangadinf." 3. How did he set about his task of becoming this strange animal - a Lionocerangoutangadinf? 4. Why did the other animals grow tired of him and tease him? 5. How did he become a beast of burden for man? 6. What made him give up pretending to be every creature? 7. Give two adjectives to describe the donkey in this story. # Think And Discuss 1. What did the word 'donkey' mean in the language of that time? Do you think the name suited this creature? 2. What combination of animals do you think the donkey had in mind when he said he wanted to be a 'Lionocerangoutangadinf'? 3. How did he practise at being different creatures in his head? 4. As a result of this pretence what sort of problems did he meet with? 5. What did the other creatures think of donkey? Select examples from the story that show this. What did you think of the donkey? Give reasons for your answer. 6. How do these words convey the moral of the story?: "It's best to face the truth," he said to himself, "and the truth is I'm neither a lion nor an eagle." # Looking At Words What is meant by these words, 'The lion's wife was waiting for him on the skyline'? # Write Why do people always say dreadful things about a donkey? Everybody thinks a donkey is stupid. Make up a story about a donkey doing something unusual. # Find Out Find out the meanings of these sayings - * donkey-work * a donkey's breakfast * to ride the black donkey