Paula Andres Penny & Maria the Donkey's Journey to the Temple of Athena

Annotation

"Maria the Donkey" was written based on a true story. The author is one of those people who was born with a great love of animals and a deep sensitivity to them. As we often learn in life, however, the things we love the most can sometimes be our greatest challenges. It seems that this is the case with our animal loving author. While trying to get close to the animals that crossed her path, the author experienced many a misadventure throughout her life. She refers to these incidents as her "critter calamities". In this particular story, a trip to the Temple of Athena on the beautiful Greek Island of Rhodes presented her with a chance to fulfill a lifetime desire to ride a donkey. This dream come true opportunity takes a turn toward the unexpected, presenting the author with one of her most exciting, but frightening calamities.