Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey facts for kids

Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey is a special animated TV show from 1977. It's a Christmas story made using stop-motion animation. This means characters are moved slightly and photographed frame by frame to make them look like they're moving. The show was made by Rankin/Bass Productions. It first aired on ABC on December 3, 1977. The story is based on a song from 1975. The song was written by Gene Autry, Don Pfrimmer, and Dave Burgess.

The Story of Nestor

The story is told by Santa Claus's donkey, Spieltoe. It's about a young donkey named Nestor. Nestor lived a long time ago, during the time of the Roman Empire. He had very long ears, much longer than other donkeys.

All the other animals in the stable made fun of Nestor because of his ears. But things changed during the winter solstice celebration. Nestor's mother gave him socks to cover his ears. This made him feel a bit better.

A Difficult Night

That same night, soldiers from the Roman Empire arrived. They needed donkeys for their work. When they saw Nestor's covered ears, they thought the stable owner, Olaf, was trying to trick them. Olaf offered Nestor to them for free. But the soldiers took all the other donkeys instead, leaving Nestor behind.

Olaf was very angry and threw Nestor out into a big snowstorm. Nestor's mother quickly followed him. She bravely used her own body to shield Nestor from the freezing cold. Sadly, she sacrificed her life to save her son.

A Special Journey

Later, Nestor met a friendly cherub named Tilly. Tilly told Nestor that they needed to travel to Bethlehem. She explained that Nestor's unique ears could do amazing things. "Your ears can do wondrous things no other ears can do," she said. "The sounds they hear will guide you on a path that's straight and true. Then you will save another, just like your mother saved you."

They traveled across the hot desert for many months. When they finally reached the edge of Bethlehem, Tilly told Nestor to wait. Nestor found an old, rundown stable, but no one wanted to buy him.

Guiding Mary and Joseph

Soon, Mary and Joseph arrived. They were expecting baby Jesus. They chose Nestor because of his "gentle eyes." But then, a huge sandstorm hit.

In the middle of the storm, Nestor heard Tilly's voice. It sounded just like his mother's. She told him to follow the sounds of angels. Nestor bravely guided Mary and Joseph through the storm. He even wrapped his long ears around Mary to protect her.

They soon arrived safely in Bethlehem. They found the stable where Mary later gave birth to Jesus. After this special event, Nestor found his way back to his old home stable. Olaf and the other animals were very happy to see him. They now cheered for Nestor as a hero.

Voice Actors

Here are some of the people who lent their voices to the characters:

• Roger Miller as Spieltoe (the narrator)
• Shelly Hines as Nestor
• Brenda Vaccaro as Tilly
• Paul Frees as Olaf the Stable Owner, a Donkey Dealer, and Santa Claus
• Linda Gary as Nestor's Mother
• Iris Rainer as Nestor's friend
• Don Messick as a Roman Soldier
• Taryn Davies as Mary
• Harry Maurice Rosner as Joseph

Production Details

The special was produced and directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass. Romeo Muller wrote the story. The animation was done using a special technique called "Animagic." This method uses stop-motion puppets to bring the characters to life.

Home Video Release

Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey was released on home video in 2000. It was often bundled with another Rankin/Bass special, The Year Without a Santa Claus.

See also

In Spanish: Nestor, the Long–Eared Christmas Donkey (película de 1977) para niños

• List of Rankin/Bass Productions films