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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Sam Wollaston

The pet I’ll never forget: Cocolo, the donkey who arrived unexpectedly at our door

Sam Wollaston (right) and sister Sophy riding on Cocolo the donkey in Israel, 1969
Sam Wollaston (right) and sister Sophy riding on Cocolo the donkey in Israel, 1969. Photograph: Courtesy of Sam Wollaston

I was four when Cocolo accidentally became part of our family, so my memories are a bit patchy and predominantly sensory (I still remember the pleasant feel of his furry ears). But my mum has filled me in on the details.

We’d gone to live in Jerusalem for a year as my dad was doing some work over there. For a Sunday treat we sometimes went to the American Colony hotel for a buffet lunch, and on one such occasion Mum was chatting with the doorman. A man was passing in the street leading a donkey, and Mum casually told the doorman that she’d always wanted a donkey.

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