It's the stuff legends are made of...

I thought my friend Lisa-Marie was being creative and telling a fib when she shared the tale of the donkey's back. I'd never heard it before. How had it been kept a secret and me in the dark?

I remember so clearly the initial fable that sunk into my little head. It struck me so profoundly, it was the subject for my first-ever school project. Picking a few flowers, placing the posies carefully between book pages they were set to dry. After a while the clearly visible, albeit faded, bonnets of blue were pasted on construction paper becoming the proud cover of a kid's homework assignment.

The legend of the bluebonnet impacted me that much. It's the story of an Indian girl who threw her beloved doll, dressed in blue, into a fire hoping the "Great Spirits" would view it a sacrifice worthy of bringing rain to drought-stricken land, later known as Texas. When the fire died and cooled, she tossed collected ashes into the wind and prayed for rain. The following morning there appeared fields of brilliant flowers resembling blue bonnets. Soon the parched land was soaked with rain.

For Christians, the dogwoods of spring always bring to mind the flowering tree's story which goes like this, "When Christ was on earth, the dogwood grew to a towering size with a lovely hue. Its branches were strong and interwoven, and for Christ's cross its timbers were chosen.

"Being distressed at the use of the wood, Christ made a promise which still holds good: 'Never again shall the dogwood grow to be large enough for a tree, and so slender and twisted it shall always be, with cross-shaped blossoms for all to see. The petals shall have bloodstains marked brown, and in the blossom's center a thorny crown. All who see it will think of me, nailed to a cross from a dogwood tree. Protected and cherished this tree shall be a reflection to all of my agony.'"

These are a couple of legends still crossing my mind after hearing them so long ago. Now a new one to add to the list? At first, I thought my friend had been indulging in wine when she mentioned something about the cross on a donkey's back. Thinking my hearing was failing, I questioned the statement. "Yeah, every donkey has a cross on their back," she repeated her claim.

Not convinced of her wild tale, I queried my husband if he'd ever heard such story. He had not. The timing of the revelation was perfect as hubby and I were set to spend that weekend at a Hill Country bed and breakfast. And what happened to be roaming in a nearby pasture? Yep. I couldn't resist. I needed to pin the tale of the donkey. Sure enough there on its tan back was dark hair patterned as a cross.

So here goes my most recent learned legend. "Long ago, near Jerusalem, there was a poor farmer who had a small donkey, too small to work. The farmer couldn't afford to feed a useless animal and decided that he had to go. He shared his plan to kill the donkey. Distraught over the news, his children suggested instead tying the animal to a road-side tree and offering it for free for the taking.

"Shortly thereafter, a couple men approached the owner showing an interest in the little donkey. The farmer warned them that the creature was about as worthless as it be, unable to carry a load on its back or perform any work. The men explained Jesus Christ had a need. Though the farmer couldn't imagine what Jesus would want with such a useless donkey, he handed it over. Happy to have found a donkey for the Lord, the men promptly took the animal to Jesus.

"He stroked the adorable animal's face, then mounted and rode it with no trouble into the city of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Since then and even today on each donkey's back there's a dark patch of length hair and another that crosses its shoulders. A forever distinguishing mark for the humble animal that proudly carried the Savior on his back."

Proof that no matter the size or limitations, every living thing has purpose and worth.

Happy Easter to one and all.

Patti Pfeiffer is a columnist for Star Local News, freelance writer and author. She can be reached at pattip913@msn.com

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