Guestling Bradshaw CE Primary School

Palm Sunday falls on the Sunday before Easter and marks the beginning of Holy Week. It commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, an event mentioned in all four Gospels. The Bible tells us that when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds greeted him by praising him and waving palm branches. However, it was the beginning of his journey to the cross.

Read the story from the donkey's point of view:

"Grandad, tell me about the time you carried the king through the city."

"You must have heard that story a hundred times, lad."

"But Grandad, I like hearing it."

"Oh, all right then. It was a long time ago, but I remember it as if it were yesterday.  I must have been about your age, never been ridden before. One day I was standing there minding my own business when along come these two strangers who start untying me.  'What's going on here then?' I think to myself. As luck would have it the mistress of the house looked out of the window just then and saw them. 'What do you think you're doing?' she asked. And they gave the strangest answer: 'The Master needs him, we'll send him home again,' just like that. And she let them take me without another word (she wasn't normally one to be lost for words, I can tell you).

Just up the road I saw a crowd of folk gathered round a man who seemed to be talking to them. An ordinary sort of chap, I thought, kind face though.  I wondered if this was the one they called the Master. As we approached, the two men leading me put their coats on my back to make a kind of saddle. And this man climbed on my back.  I didn't mind; he was gentle enough. He told me we were going to the city. Everyone seemed very excited.  Folk were throwing their coats down on the ground in front of us and others were cutting branches off the palm trees and throwing those on the ground too. They were a bit funny to walk on, but this Master seemed like a nice chap, so I made up my mind to do my best and hold him steady.  Everyone was cheering and clapping as we walked along, shouting things like 'Long live the king!' and 'Hosanna in the highest!' I felt quite important myself, and very proud that he'd chosen me!

We got to the city at last and I went as far as the temple. Master got down and thanked me, thanked humble old me, can you imagine, and said I could go home. I knew my way; I'd been with the folks at home a few times to carry stuff home from the market. So off I trotted. I felt a bit strange inside, like something important was going to happen. I thought about this Master all the way home. Such kind eyes he had, so full of love and compassion. I shall never forget him as long as I live.

I never saw him again. Your Uncle Ned said his name was Jesus. He heard people talking about him in the market square. He said not long after that Jesus was arrested and sentenced to death. I don't know what he was supposed to have done. I heard he healed sick people - got the lame to walk again, made blind people see, that sort of thing. I can't imagine anyone like that hurting so much as a fly. Nailed him to a cross they did and left him to die. Horrible. But do you know, a couple of days later, when his friends went to see his body, it had gone, vanished! And by some miracle he'd come back to life. Lots of people saw him. I just knew there was something special about him. 

I've thought about him lots of times since then. And whenever I feel like grumbling about something, I think about Jesus and that special time we had together. I think about how much he must have suffered, and somehow I don't feel like grumbling any more."