In some remote area, near a small village, on a flowered farm lived a farmer and his five year-old daughter.

The good man had a donkey that was always unhappy because it considered itself despised by all. It considered itself ugly, short and without any elegance, and it also was slow, to its despair, which was why it was always downcast and despondent. Because it had a low opinion of itself, it felt that others thought the same way. The donkey performed its daily tasks pulling the
plough and taking vegetables to sell in the village but soon after, it would just stand there sighing sadly and dreaming of being someone important and loved by all.

It happened that at that time an unknown fever began to spread and many people fell ill in the region.

Without resources and without medical assistance, the villagers did not know what to do.

The farmer's daughter also woke up sick one day, and her father, worried, realized that if he did not do something fast, she would die.

He decided to take the dangerous road that lead to another city, bigger and with more resources, which certainly would not lack the necessary help.

To do so, however, he would need to cross mountains with huge dangerous cliffs.

How would he do it? He was not well either and was afraid of having contracted the strange disease; he would not have the strength to carry the little girl.

He remembered the donkey and had no doubts. Full of confidence in God, he said to the donkey:

- My brave donkey, only you can perform this task. With God's help, I have faith that we will reach the city – he said humbly stroking the animal.

He improvised a wicker basket, put the girl inside and onto the animal's back, and they departed.

The ride was long and difficult. They had to deal with many dangers, crossing rickety bridges and narrow roads at the edges of huge cliffs.

Finally, after many efforts, exhausted and hungry, they came into the city on the other side of the mountains where they were received with joy.

Seen by a doctor, the girl soon got better, as did her father. Informed about the situation of the inhabitants of the small village, men were sent out with drugs to cure them.

And, to the satisfaction of the donkey, people gazed at it with admiration and respect, saying:

- Thanks to the courage and bravery of this donkey, the sick could be helped, getting the help they desperately needed.

One beautiful day, when everyone had recovered and joy had returned to the village; full of justifiable pride, the brave donkey received a tribute from the grateful villagers, which put around his neck a beautiful flower garland.  And from that day on, the donkey never felt despised by all again. It realized that it was all in its head and actually no one ever despised it.
It did not love itself and so it thought people did not like it either.

When it had the opportunity to show them it could do something good and useful and felt pleased with itself, it realized that people's reaction were also different.

That also can happen to us in life. As we give love, we receive love back. 

Aunt Celia