Buzz
This list honors the ten most memorable talking donkeys from literature, film, and television. Some of these donkeys are particularly unique because they were never meant to speak—just like any ordinary donkey—making their ability to talk either magical or miraculous. Others live in worlds where all animals can converse, and their significance lies in other traits. But one thing all these donkeys share is their ability to talk. And of course, they are all donkeys. Here are the top ten talking donkeys that have captured our imaginations.
10. The Donkey in the Lion's Skin
The tale of The Donkey in the Lion's Skin is a fable credited to the Greek slave storyteller, Aesop, who also gave us classics like the Tortoise and the Hare and The Ant and the Grasshopper. This fable tells the story of a donkey who, seeking to impress other animals, dons the skin of a lion. His plan works until he tries to speak with a fox. Upon hearing the donkey's bray, the fox immediately sees through the disguise and reveals the donkey’s true identity. The lesson here is that appearances can deceive, but the truth is always revealed when someone speaks. A timeless moral indeed!
The donkey from the fable is directly referenced and given a much more prominent role in C.S. Lewis’ *The Last Battle*, the seventh and final book of *The Chronicles of Narnia*. In this tale, the talking donkey Puzzle is both courageous and humble, yet rather naïve. He is tricked by his friend, Shift the Ape, who convinces him to retrieve a lion’s skin from the cold Caldron Pool. Puzzle wears the skin, pretending to be Aslan the Lion in a scheme to take control of Narnia. The deception is ultimately exposed by Shift, but Puzzle is forgiven by the real Aslan in the end.
9. Ya'foor - Muhammad's Talking Donkey
In the book *The Beginning and the End*, there is a fascinating tale known as “The Conversation of the Donkey.” In it, Muhammad receives from God a gift that includes four sheep, four goats, ten pots of gold and silver, and a black donkey with the ability to speak. The ensuing conversation between Muhammad and the donkey goes as follows:
Muhammad asks the donkey, “What is your name?” The donkey replies, “Yazid Ibn Shihab.” Muhammad then says, “I will call you Ya'foor!” The donkey responds, “I obey.” Muhammad then asks, “Do you desire females?” to which the donkey answers, “NO!”
Quite fascinating, to say the least. Due to the challenge of finding an image of Ya'foor, the donkey pictured above is Buraq, another donkey linked to the stories of Muhammad.
8. Benjamin
*Animal Farm* (1945), written by George Orwell, is an allegorical novella about a group of farm animals (mainly pigs) symbolizing Soviet politics. In essence, it's one rather dull subject representing another. However, it has its place in history, and supposedly (though I confess I haven’t read it), there’s a talking donkey named Benjamin. The following excerpt is from the Cliffs Notes character description of him:
“Donkeys are known for their stubbornness, and Benjamin certainly lives up to this reputation, stubbornly refusing to be excited about the rebellion. While all the other animals celebrate the idea of an animal-run world, Benjamin simply states, ‘Donkeys live a long time. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey.’ While this confounds the others, the reader understands Benjamin’s cynical yet realistic perspective: at the start, the rebellion on Animal Farm might seem like a dream, but in time, it could evolve into another form of the same tyranny they initially rebelled against. Ultimately, Benjamin's pessimism proves to be justified. Though he may be a skeptic, he is a realist.” [
7. Nestor - The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
For those who haven’t seen this special, it’s essentially a blend of *Dumbo* and *Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer*, and it’s definitely worth a watch. Nestor is a gray, stop-motion donkey with extraordinarily long ears who is shunned by all the other donkeys. After his mother is killed (yes, it’s a bit like *Bambi*), Nestor embarks on a journey to Israel where he meets Joseph and Mary, helping them travel to Bethlehem where Baby Jesus is born.
Much like the beloved holiday classic *A Charlie Brown Christmas*, this film strikes a perfect balance between secular and spiritual themes. And of course, it features plenty of talking donkeys. The story is narrated by a talking donkey named Spieltoe, who offers some humorous lines. “You didn’t know Santa Claus had a donkey?” he drawls, “who do you think pulls his snow plow?”
6. Leroy
In *The Muppet Musicians of Bremen*, Leroy is a talking donkey who, impressively, plays the tuba. This movie is a reimagining of the German folktale *The Town Musicians of Bremen*, first recorded by the Brothers Grimm. The Muppet version takes place in the rural bayou of Louisiana, with New Orleans-style jazz music setting the tone. Leroy is the first character introduced, but he is later joined by Rover Joe, the hound dog (who plays the trombone), Catgut the cat (trumpet), and T.R. the rooster (vocals and tambourine). Various rats and Kermit the Frog also play key roles as the MC. Together, the animals escape their abusive owners and form a traveling band in search of freedom. This film alone showcases Jim Henson’s remarkable genius, both as a craftsman and storyteller, in no small part due to Leroy the Donkey.
5. Baba Looey
For me, there’s nothing more charming than a little cartoon burro wearing a sombrero and speaking with a thick Mexican accent. Enter Baba Looey from the *Quick Draw McGraw Show*, a wild west-themed cartoon. Voiced by Hanna-Barbera legend Daws Butler, Baba Looey’s rendition of “Quick Draw” sounds more like “Quick Straw.” That’s pure cuteness.
But in all honesty, Baba Looey truly embodied the archetype of the sidekick. Loyal and clever, he was always there to rescue Quick Draw when trouble arose, offer helpful advice, and pull Quick Draw’s head back down from the clouds. In many ways, he was a close reincarnation of the character Sancho Panza from Miguel de Cervantes’ *Don Quixote de la Mancha*, who also rode a donkey and served as the loyal, grounded companion to a more idealistic hero.
4. Balaam’s Talking Ass - Numbers 22
This one is downright strange. While the story of Muhammad’s talking donkey is somewhat obscure, the Judeo-Christian version is directly found in the scriptures. In fact, if you were to compile a list of the most bizarre biblical tales, this one would earn a spot near the top, ranking #2.
To summarize, the prophet Balaam and his donkey are journeying when the donkey sees an angel and refuses to go any further. In his frustration, Balaam strikes the donkey, who then miraculously speaks, asking, “What have I done to thee? Why strikest thou me, lo, now this third time?” [Source]
Balaam then responds, “Because thou hast earned it, and hast treated me poorly: I wish I had a sword so that I might kill thee.” At this moment, Balaam finally sees the angel and falls to the ground. The angel then says to Balaam, “Why hast thou beaten thy ass these three times? I have come to stand against thee, for thy path is crooked and contrary to me.” (In reference to this, I would like to borrow a phrase from Fox News: “We Report. You Decide.”)
3. Bottom
The sheer beauty and brilliance of William Shakespeare’s *A Midsummer Night’s Dream* cannot be overstated, though many have certainly attempted to do so. What’s one more try going to hurt, right? It is, quite simply, an ageless marvel; a phenomenon that has inspired at least one opera, one ballet, and five modern films. And it all begins with Bottom. After all, it is Bottom who experiences the dream, or as he calls it, the “most rare vision,” and any high school teacher would tell you that the most crucial role in any Shakespeare comedy is the fool.
A resident of Athens and a weaver by trade, Bottom undergoes a transformation (or more accurately, a “translation”) from human to ass at the hands of the “shrewd and knavish sprite” Robin Goodfellow in the first scene of Act 3. The rest, well, we all know how it goes. But for those who don’t: he ends up having an affair with the Queen. In most adaptations, he is given just the head or ears of an ass, but there are alternate interpretations suggesting that he was endowed with much more than that. Peter Brook, who directed the epic 1970 Royal Shakespeare Company production, apparently shared this perspective. “Peter used to tell us that the ass has the largest penis in the animal kingdom,” recalls Sarah Kestelman, who portrayed Titania.
In any case, without delving further into textual analyses—of which there are countless, many quite fascinating—let’s just say that Bottom is an internationally adored character who gave us the greatest midsummer night in all of literature.
And of course, he’s an ass named Bottom. How could he not top this list?
2. Donkey from *Shrek*
He’s upbeat, sensitive, chatty, loves waffles, and even managed to fly for a short time with a little help from some pixie dust. Yes, the one and only Donkey from the *Shrek* series hardly requires further explanation. In 2001, Donkey, voiced by the incomparable Eddie Murphy, and the rest of the *Shrek* crew made an unforgettable entrance, signaling the rise of DreamWorks Animation as a formidable force in the computer-animated family film industry. Before this, the highly profitable industry had been almost entirely controlled by Pixar. However, *Shrek* earned widespread praise for its clever parody of fairy tale tropes, taking jabs at Pixar’s partner Disney, and it was enough for *Shrek* to win the first-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
1. Eeyore
Now, I get that his deeply melancholic demeanor serves to balance out the other characters, much like Oscar the Grouch or the Raincloud Care Bear. However, Eeyore takes this to an extreme. His self-esteem is dangerously low, and he has absolutely no sense of self-worth. In fact, I challenge anyone to read the following passage (credit to overthinkingit.com) and not find it a little unsettling:
“You seem so sad, Eeyore.” “Sad? Why should I be sad? It’s my birthday. The happiest day of the year.” “Your birthday?” said Pooh, clearly surprised. “Of course it is. Can’t you see? Look at all the presents I’ve gotten.” He waved a foot side to side. “Look at the birthday cake. Candles and pink sugar.” Pooh looked – first to the right and then to the left. “Presents?” Pooh asked. “Birthday cake?” Pooh repeated. “Where?” “Can’t you see them?” “No,” said Pooh. “Neither can I,” said Eeyore. “Joke,” he explained. “Ha Ha.”
God help Eeyore.
