Which fairytale did Donkey come from?
Somehow the movie Shrek entered into the conversation during Bible Study time tonight and I was asked "Which fairytale had a talking donkey?" I remember wondering that myself when I first saw the film, but haven't thought about it since. Well, I just finished searching the 'net and it appears that other than in the world of Shrek, there is no fairytale with a talking donkey.
The concern was that someone was treating the Bible as a fairytale. What? A talking donkey in the Bible? Yup. Check it out!
(20) And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men are come to call thee, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak unto thee, that shalt thou do. (21) And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. (22) And God's anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of Jehovah placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. (23) And the ass saw the angel of Jehovah standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way. (24) Then the angel of Jehovah stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. (25) And the ass saw the angel of Jehovah, and she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again. (26) And the angel of Jehovah went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. (27) And the ass saw the angel of Jehovah, and she lay down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with his staff. (28) And Jehovah opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? (29) And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me, I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed thee. (30) And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden all thy life long unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said, Nay. (31) Then Jehovah opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Jehovah standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face. (32) And the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I am come forth for an adversary, because thy way is perverse before me: (33) and the ass saw me, and turned aside before me these three times: unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I had even slain thee, and saved her alive. [Numbers, Chapter 22:20-33, American Standard edition from Bible Foundry]I wonder what the screenwriters were thinking about. It's funny, though, that in my Web search there wasn't any mention of this idea. But check out the contentions at this site for movie reviews from various Christian perspectives.
