In my time with animals, I have never seen anything as horrible as Simon when we first saw him in the pasture of Jessica Barrett, our town’s animal control officer. She and the State Police had removed Simon from the farm where he lay dying and starving in freezing water, charging his owner with animal neglect.
Terms like “abuse” or “neglect” don’t seem adequate to Simon’s condition. His hooves had grown out nearly a foot, his skin was black with rain rot, his legs misshapen, his teeth implanted into his jaw, his ribs sticking out in an almost skeletal way. Simon is in his second year with us, and as rough as his story was, it is now a sparkling jewel, a happy story.
Some people believe a farm is the way to a perfect life, just as some believe we can offer animals paradise and eternal life, even as we struggle. On the farm, there is joy and sorrow, life and death, success and disappointment. Like in life. The test of a good life is not that it is free of struggle and grief and loss, rather in the way we choose to handle it.
I am happy to tell you that Simon has a very good life. He is in nearly perfect health, except for some work still to be done on his legs. His coat is shiny. After the donkey-guzzling of the first spring grass, he is in good weight. His eyes are bright and clear. He and Lulu and Fanny are inseparable. I read donkey stories to him, still, and am still training him to halter walk with me. Maria and I visit Simon and the other donkeys several times a day. I sing to him, nuzzle his nose, and we brush him, give him carrots, apples, cookies. He brays and comes running when he sees us, and why not? He is no fool. He loves attention, loves children, loves to be touched.
He has admirers all over the world and many girlfriends, although Red is closing on the farm’s best chick magnet. Simon epitomizes the wonderful drama of the donkey, independent, smart and often misused creatures. Humans have a sad record with donkeys, perhaps because they are so independent-minded. Everything has to be their own idea. I am working on a book about Simon, and I can’t wait to get started on it. But I wanted to pause in the madcap pace of things around here and let you know that Simon is happy, well and has a very good life. His is nothing but a happy story. It is wonderful to be able to present happy stories when so many bad ones are sold to us all day as news. This one is free and true.