Coveted Donkeys

 As Roy looked over his land, long rows of golden wheat proved that it had been a good season. The perfect amount of rain, and good weather had assured that this year’s harvest was one of bounty and surplus. All that remained was the harvest, which would consist of long and grueling hours of work. Though Roy did not look forward to this, he knew it was a necessary part of farming.

Roy’s neighbor, Clyde, had also experienced an exceedingly great year for his crops. Clyde decided that he would invite all his neighboring farmers over to celebrate this years exceeding harvest.  After the festivities were over Clyde showed Roy around his farm. When they came to the barn Roy noticed Clyde’s large pack of donkeys.

“I’ll bet all them there Donkeys sure are handy come harvest season,” Roy said.

“They sure do,” replied Clyde, “they make harvest season take half the time.”

As Roy gazed at Clyde’s pack of donkeys he began to think how much more convenient if he could add four more donkeys to his measly pair.

As the harvest season began Roy became obsessed with acquiring more livestock. Each day he toiled out in the field, he thought of how great it would be to own just a few more donkeys. His pair of donkeys just didn’t seem to get the job done fast enough.

“If I could just get my hands on four more donkeys my life I would be set for life,” Roy thought. “How am I gunna get me 4 more donkeys, nearest donkeys around these parts are owned by Clyde.”

At this moment a malicious idea came into Roy’s mind, he knew just how he was going to get his donkeys. 

Late one night Roy silently crept through the field separating his farm from Clyde’s.  When he had reached Clyde’s barn he carefully snuck inside and removed four donkeys from Clyde’s large pack.  As he left Clyde’s barn Roy lit fire to a pile hay, then quickly scrambled back across his field.  Once he reached home Roy quickly hid the stolen donkeys, and climbed into bed.

Then next morning Roy was not surprised to hear someone knocking on his door. As it turned out it was one of Roy’s other neighbors

“Did ya hear that Clyde’s barn burnt down last night?” he said. “All his livestock perished in the blaze”.

“I am mighty sorry to hear that,” Roy said with a concerned look on his face. “I reckon we all should try and help him out. Since I don’t got much livestock all I can do is send one of my boys over to help out.”

Roy didn’t feel that guilty since he figured that sending his son over to help Clyde made up for his act of thievery and arson.

So a week later Roy began using his four newly acquired donkeys to harvest his crop. Roy was not disappointed with the four donkeys, work seem to take three times less then before. To make matters even better no one noticed his extra livestock, or suspected that he caused the fire. Roy figured that he was pretty darn clever. At the end of the season Roy reckoned that he would just claim that he purchased them with the extra income from his surplus of crops.

As Roy was working out in the field one day he noticed a long dark curtain of clouds moving in. This annoyed Roy, because even though the harvest was basically done he knew a large storm could ruin the rest of his crop.  Roy hastily took his pack of donkeys into the barn and ran to his house to escape the approaching storm. To Roy’s dismay the storm soon became so violent that he was forced to move his family down in their storm cellar.

            It was at this moment the Roy remembered that in his haste he had forgotten to properly secure the barn door.  So Roy scrambled out of the storm cellar into the violent tempest to go close the barn door. Now it must have not been Roy’s lucky day. When he reached the barn all of the stolen donkeys had wandered out and were calmly grazing while the storm raged around them. Roy muttered a few colorful words and then sprinted off to collect his livestock.

            Just as Roy had gathered his pack of donkeys back together and head back to the barn, he noticed he was in the path of an enormous tornado. The large cyclone came along so quickly that Roy barely escaped. Roy turned and watched in horror as the cyclone consumed his donkeys, lifting them up into the air. Roy, who was completely terrified, turned and raced back to the storm cellar.  As Roy ran through the last field of wheat a large projectile fell on him. Roy did not have a chance to even yell out in surprise for he was crushed immediately.

After the storm had cleared Roy’s family ventured out of the storm cellar.  To their dismay Roy could not be found anywhere. Of course after hearing this all Roy’s neighbors came over to help his family clean up, and find Roy. It was sad sight to see, Roy’s farm lay in ruins. The barn had been capsized and all of his donkeys displaced acres apart. Every thing Roy had work so hard for over the summer was scattered all across his land.

 Weeks went by and there was still no sigh of Roy. Roy’s neighbors figured it would be a good idea to finish cutting the wheat that wasn’t harvested. So a few of Roy’s neighbors, including Clyde, began to cut the last field of wheat. As they came to the middle of the field they were shocked by what they came across. There lying under the carcass of a donkey, was the body of the late farmer Roy. The look of surprise and terror on his face matched that of the on looking neighbors. Clyde took one look at Roy, and then at the donkey and said.

“I believe that there was one of my donkeys”.

Thus ends the story and life of Roy.  What he coveted most became what led to his demise. He was just another man that was victim of a jackass.