The Sleepy Meadow ranch is among the few remaining, truly pristine locations in the United States. The ranch rests in a majestic meadow in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The owners: John and Helen have managed to avoid the evils of the civilized world and have formed a close knit family which includes their twenty two donkeys. John and Helen use their donkeys to take people on tours into the hills. Special needs children are among their favorite guests. Even with the harsh South Dakota winters, the valley provides an idyllic life for humans and for donkeys.Spring brings new life in the hills and on the ranch. Like most young children in the human world, the new born foals on the Sleepy Meadow ranch form cliques that exclude those donkeys who are a different. Alex is the different one. He is gullible, less than hansom, awkward and innocent. This makes him an ideal target for bullying by the other new foals. In spite of these faults Alex must grow to become strong, courageous, and wise donkey. Most importantly he must form a close bond with the Great Father and His Colt. He will need that closeness with the Father in the coming year. Just outside the confines of the Sleepy Meadow ranch looms an ancient evil that is biding its time for just the right moment to attack; that moment is near.Alex has been given a duty to pass along the Great Father message to future generations of donkeys. The message; in the form of stories, must be told and retold one generation at a time. But the ancient evil; the same evil that has destroyed millions of lives and taken soles of past generations lurks just beyond the pasture fence. It will do everything in its power to stop Alex from spreading the Great Father's word."