What Does a Navajo Donkey Say?

By Lillian Vorth • Illustrated by Paulette Livers Lambert

When Benny walked into the gym he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. For some reason he didn’t feel so short when he was carrying his new drum. He waved to Kee and Thomas, his best friends, who were sitting on the bleachers near the door.

Kee called, “Benny, what are you doing with a drum? Whose is it?”

“It’s mine,” Benny said proudly. “My grandfather made it for me.”

“Your grandfather made it?” Kee stroked the smooth calfskin laced over the top and bottom of the drum. “Boy, it’s nice.”

Thomas took the drum from Kee and thumped its wooden side. “How did he get it so round?” he asked.

Benny laughed. “He found a round log and sawed off a chunk. I helped him hollow it out, but my grandfather painted it.”

“It’s sure pretty,” Kee said. He took the stick and hit the drum a few times. “Can you really play it?”

“Of course. I’ve been practicing for a year.” Benny didn’t tell them that Grandfather said Benny played very well. And when Grandfather spoke, even Benny’s father and mother listened. “This year I’m going to try out for the festival.”
Kee moved over to make room for Benny. “Why didn’t you tell us?” he asked.

“I wanted to keep it a secret till I was sure I could really play well enough,” Benny said. “Is anyone else trying out on the drum?”

“Just Desworth—I think,” Kee answered.

“I’m sure I can play better than Desworth,” said Benny. “He doesn’t practice.”

Thomas and Kee laughed. “Anyone can play better than Desworth,” said Thomas.
“Look, there’s Dan Tsosie, and he has a drum, too,” Kee said as a tall boy walked into the gym. “I didn’t know he played the drum.”

Benny’s heart skipped a beat. Not Dan. Dan was everything Benny wanted to be. He was five feet nine and the best basketball player in school.

Why did Dan have to try out for the drum? Benny just knew Dan would play well. Dan did every-thing well. Last year Dan’s dance team had won first place.

When Benny had tried out for the dance team last year, all the kids laughed at him. Even Kee and Thomas laughed because he was shorter than any of the girls. Nobody had laughed at Dan because of his height. “When you’re tall, people don’t laugh at you,” Benny thought.

And now Dan was trying out for drummer, one of the most important parts in the whole festival. “There wouldn’t even be a dance team without a drummer,” thought Benny.

Desworth played first. He played just the way he played in Navajo social studies class—pretty badly.

Mr. Tsinajinnie called Dan next. Dan walked confidently to the center of the gym, sat down on the sheepskin, and started to play. He played “Yoo Shi Aa Ahonga.” Benny felt like crying. That was the song he’d been practicing all year. When Dan finished the song, Mr. Tsinajinnie smiled and said, “Nizhoni. Very good.”

Benny knew he was next, but what was the use? He couldn’t play better than Dan. There was only one other song that Benny knew as well as “Yoo Shi Aa Ahonga,” and that was the donkey song. He always played it for his baby sister when no one else was around. Berdina could only say a few words, but if Benny picked up his drum she said, “Wi’aa.” Navajo children say wi’aa for the sound a donkey makes.

“I have to try. I’ll play the donkey song,” Benny thought, taking his place on the sheepskin rug. He played the first verse, and when he came to the chorus he sang:

Hi yooooo wi’aa
Hi yooooo wi’aa
Hi yooooo wi’aa, wi’aa aweiyaa hei neeya.

When he finished playing, all the kids yelled, “Nááná! Nááná! Again! Again!”
Mr. Tsinajinnie nodded, and Benny played the song again. Everyone in the gym sang wi’aa with him.

By the time the song ended, Mr. Tsinajinnie was laughing, and so were all the kids. But their laughter was different this time.

Quiet! Quiet!” Mr. Tsinajinnie shouted. When it was finally quiet, he said, “Benny, you’re our drummer. You’re going to play that song for the second-grade dance team, and I think a bunch of little donkeys are going to win us a first-place cup. Am I right?”

“Right!” everyone shouted.

Dan walked over to Benny and shook hands. “I wish I’d thought of playing a funny song,” he said. “You had me wi’aa-ing, too.”

Benny couldn’t say a word. All he could do was grin. Half of the kids in the gym were running around on all fours singing wi’aa. Benny felt good. He could hardly wait to tell Grandfather.