Daisy

• Talena Cleyne, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2013

The lush green grass waved softly in the breeze as the tall oak tree spread shade on the young feeble donkey. Her dark hazelnut eyes slowly opened. She smelled something fresh like hay. The chase from the night before had left her completely lost and exhausted. She stood up hurriedly and spied a barn, just like her own at home. Without thinking she staggered towards it, yet when she reached it she realised it looked nothing like home. The barn was old and broken down but the smell coming from within was so delicious she had to get inside. There was a fresh batch of hay and a moving object in the corner. It was a young girl who was holding a tissue, she seemed to be crying. The donkey cautiously approached as the girl looked up, shocked that someone had found her. When she saw that it wasn't a person, she gave the donkey a soft smile. “Hello” she said as her face brightening up a little. She stood up and walked over to the hay and grabbing a handful, she held it up to the young donkey. Slowly creeping forward the donkey took a nibble, then seeing no threat, decided to eat. They stood there until the girl broke the silence, “what’s your name?” then she hesitated and asked “do you have a home?”
The donkey seemed to understand this and shook her head “well then in that case I think I will call you Daisy.” The girl by now had chirped up and was starting to comb the donkey’s mane when she looked up at the window and gasped, “It’s almost dark!” with that she hugged Daisy, told her to stay there and ran out the door Daisy crept around the barn, she was lethargic and decided to doze on the hay. The next morning Daisy woke with a start, but was relieved to see that the girl was the only one there. She had something in her hand, it was a small bag. The contents were wonderful horse feed which she gave Daisy. Daisy realised that the girl was hiding something else behind her back. Daisy nudged her and the girl slowly took her hand from behind her back. There in the centre of the girl’s hand were angry red whip marks Daisy grunted in shock. The girl started to cry again, Daisy grabbed an old handkerchief lying in the corner of the barn and gave it to the girl She cheered up a little. The girl told Daisy how her terrible Step Mother hit her if she was late for tea. This made the donkey upset and angry. Daisy looked at the door as if to say “then let’s run away”. The girl smiled and agreed, jumped on the donkey’s back and shared her name with her new friend. “I'm Emma” she said to the donkey and together they stole out of the old battered barn into the fresh morning sunlight to a new adventure.