The Enchanted Burro
The Enchanted Burro by Charles Fletcher Lummis is a novel that tells the story of a young man named John who inherits a magical burro from his grandfather. The burro, named Sancho, has the power to grant wishes, but only to those who treat him with kindness and respect. John must learn to navigate the challenges of adulthood while also caring for his enchanted burro, all while trying to keep his newfound abilities a secret from those around him. Along the way, he meets a cast of colorful characters, including a wise old owl and a mischievous fox, who help him on his journey. Will John be able to master his powers and find true happiness with Sancho by his side?
By Charles Fletcher Lummis · First published 1920 · Genre: Children's Literature, Folk Tale, Fantasy · 5,102 words
First lines
Lelo dropped the point of his heavy irrigating hoe and stood with chin dented upon the rude handle, looking intently to the east. Around his bare ankles the rill from the _acéquia_[1] eddied a moment and then sucked through the gap in the little ridge of earth which bounded the irrigating bed. The early sun was yellow as gold upon the crags of the _mesa_[2]-that league-long front of ragged cliffs whose sandstones, black-capped by the lava of the immemorial Year of Fire, here wall the valley of the Rio Grande on the west. Where a spur of the frowning Kú-mai runs out is a little bay in the cliffs; and here the outermost fields of Isleta were turning green with spring. The young wheat swayed and whispered to the water, whose scouts stole about amid the stalks, and came back and called their fellows forward, and spread hither and yon, till every green blade was drinking and the tide began to creep up the low boundaries at either side.
What this Textopian page supports
The Enchanted Burro is listed on Textopian as a novella by Charles Fletcher Lummis, dated 1920 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novella
- Author: Charles Fletcher Lummis
- Date: 1920 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Children's Literature, Folk Tale, Fantasy, Anthology, Cultural
- Length: 5,102 words
- Structure: 1 section, 55 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for The Enchanted Burro by Charles Fletcher Lummis
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Children's Literature — The book is a collection of fairy tales and folk tales for young audiences, telling fantastic and whimsical stories.
- Folk Tale — The stories in the collection are based on folk tales, featuring traditional characters and elements.
- Fantasy — The tales include elements of magic and the supernatural, such as a talking burro, fitting the definition of fantasy.
- Anthology — The book consists of several stories, each independent but all brought together by a common cultural background.
Tags
adventure · fantasy · animal protagonist · friendship · journey · Southwest · mythology · cultural heritage · nature · exploration · humor · whimsy