My name is Ezel, which means "set apart". I am small for my kind, with gray-brown fur that turns almost silver in bright sunlight. A dark stripe runs down my back, crossing another at my shoulders to form what humans call the "cross of Christ" — though I bore this mark long before I bore him. My ears are long and alert, swiveling to catch every sound. My eyes are large and dark, fringed with thick lashes that keep out the desert dust. My legs are sturdy but slender, ending in small, hard hooves perfect for navigating rocky paths. My tail, with its tuft of coarse hair, swishes constantly at flies. Despite my youth, I am strong — built for endurance rather than speed.

The road to Jerusalem was packed with people. They pushed against each other to get closer to us. I would normally have been terrified, but Jesus sat steady on my back, his hand occasionally patting my neck when the noise grew too loud. "Hosanna!" they shouted, throwing palm branches and cloaks on the ground before us. I stepped carefully over them, trying not to trip. The fabrics felt strange under my hooves – softer than the hard dirt roads I was used to. A child reached out to touch my side as we passed. Jesus noticed and smiled at the boy. "Faith like a child's," I heard him murmur. As we climbed higher toward the city gates, I felt Jesus take a deep breath. His body tensed. I glanced back and saw tears in his eyes as he looked at Jerusalem spread out before us, gleaming in the sunlight.

Five days after carrying Jesus, I stood tied to a post in a quiet corner of the city. My owner had found me and brought me here to sell vegetables at the market. The city felt different now – angry, frightened. I heard the crowds in the distance. Their shouts weren't joyful anymore. A group of children ran past, one stopping to look at me. "That's him!" the boy said. "That's the donkey that carried Jesus!" His friends gathered around, petting my nose and mane. "They're going to kill him," an older boy said. "I heard my father talking about it." "But why?" asked a little girl. "Everyone loved him when he came into the city." I wished I could answer her question. I didn't understand either. Later that afternoon, the sky turned dark though it wasn't yet evening. People rushed through the streets, looking up at the blackened sun with fear on their faces. I felt a strange shudder go through the earth beneath my hooves. Something had changed in the world. I didn't know what it meant, but I r