Today's Prompt: Donkey Cause donkeys - it would be too easy to continue this so - I'm gonna stop where I am at now...otherwise I will not get enough sleep to work tomorrow.

Burrita

Mirabel had perched herself among the branches of the great oak that was growing in the middle of the plaza as she watched Luisa moving about the town. School had let out early and she didn't want to go home yet. Camilo had gone off into the woods with his friends, he said, to work on a 'school project'. More likely he was planning another of his elaborate pranks and didn't want her there as a potential witness. Her thirteenth birthday was coming up and since Tía Pepa was home with Antonio she didn't need to hurry home to watch him. She actually had exams to study for but wasn't feeling overly motivated to do that either.

She kinda needed to talk to her mom about something, but as she looked through the leaves she saw her mother's stall, still had a full line of people. There was probably little chance she'd be able to talk her mom into a taking a break. Isabela was gliding through town making things as beautiful as her but Mira couldn't talk to her either. Or rather Isa would just ignore her so there was no point. Delores was also out of the question since, like Isa, she didn't pay much attention to her or even talk to her much. Luisa was still moving through the town, running this way and that helping people with her Gift.

There was a growl below her and Mirabel looked down to see Burrita staring up at her. She was Señor Ortiz's cart donkey but she realized she'd not seen her pulling her cart recently. The donkey snorted then and Mira wondered why the donkey was focusing on her. Burrita was rubbing her hindquarter against the tree. Probably has an itch she can't scratch, she thought, but she also was loathe to leave her perch. If Abuela saw her she'd likely send her home. Something else she did not want to do just then. Still Mirabel could not just stay hiding in this tree if the donkey needed her. Burrita looked up at her and gave a soft whuffle, as if to reassure her that no one of note was around.

"Fine," Mirabel said and climbed carefully out of the tree. The donkey made space for her to jump down and after landing Mirabel said, "Thanks, Burrita."

The donkey turned and head butted her and Mira noted for the first time how round the donkey's midsection was. "Oh my gosh, Burrita, I didn't know you were pregnant!"

Somewhere in the distance she heard, "Luisa! The donkeys!" Given the way Luisa usually collected the donkeys, no wonder Burrita had run off.

"What are you doing out of your pen?"

The donkey just gave her a look that told her she was asking a stupid question and the donkey laid down on the spot. Mira wasn't sure if that was the best thing for her, but then she wasn't a donkey. Luisa came by then carrying several other donkeys. As she approached Mirabel came and stood in front of Burrita.

"Wait! Luisa, I think she's having her baby right now," Mirabel said.

Her sister had always had a keen interest in the animals of the Encanto. She'd helped with foaling before so Mira hoped she'd be able to help Burrita now. Luisa set down the donkeys she was carrying and said, "Really most donkeys will only foal at night. Let's have a look then," she said and moved to the rear of the animal and Burrita snorted at her and Luisa said, "Mira, do me a favor and sit near her head. I don't want her to think I'm going to try and move her."

"Okay," Mirabel said and sat near the mare's head and gently scratched behind her ears. Luisa took up a position near the tail and seemed to be waiting.

After twenty minutes Luisa said, "You were right Mira. Feet…nose are out," and she reached over and pulled something sticky looking from the foal. "Good, good. Not a breach. Come on Burrita you're almost there."

Mirabel, while interested to find out what was happening at the other end of the donkey, decided it would be better if she stayed put. By now a small crowd had formed but they were mostly being held back by the other donkeys. Only a few people made it through including Osvaldo who smiled at Mirabel and thanked her for finding his donkey. Then to Burrita he said, "That's a good girl, Burrita. Almost there," as he said this, he placed a hand on her muzzle. The donkey let out a series of grunts and Luisa looked up and said happily, "It's a boy!" But her excitement turned to concern and she said, "She's bleeding too much, Mira go and get Mamá, quick!"

Mirabel wasn't going to ask questions so was up and scrambled under the donkey nearest her into the crowd. She pushed through it to get to her mother's stall on the other side of the plaza. She emerged right in front of her Abuela who stopped her and asked her where she was going. Mirabel was torn between wanting to hold still as her Abuela told her she should do when being spoken to, and her need to get her mother.

"Mira!" Luisa shouted and Mirabel used that distraction to take off. She skidded to a halt in front of her mother, who saw her coming and said, "What's happening, Corazón?"

"Luisa is helping with a foal and she said the mama is bleeding too much and she wants you to come."

Her mother immediately grabbed a small basket of blueberries and a cup of water and together they returned to the crowd. Mirabel noted her Abuela had cleared a path for them. So, it was a shock when her Abuela caught her arm and stopped her at the edge of the crowd and said, "You've done enough Mirabel. It would be best if you left this to your sister and Mamá, okay?"

Mira watched as the crowd closed again and she bit her lip as she nodded and turned away. A cheer went up, but she did not turn back to look. She'd been dismissed so there was nothing else to do but go home. Still, she would have liked to meet the little guy. She found out later that Osvaldo had named the baby Bruno because the foal had an hourglass shaped spot on his left shoulder. This made Mirabel wonder all over again where her Tío was. Her only real memory of him was that he was scruffy and smelled like a tree. It wasn't much, but she knew it was a good memory so clung to it.