It was Christmas Eve, and the donkeys stood together in the barn talking about what they wanted for Christmas. Daisy wished for a new hat; Max, the fattest of the donkeys, wished for an extra portion of carrots; and Frederick, the biggest, strongest donkey, wished for a new blanket. Josie, the smallest and youngest donkey, didn't say anything at all. The others always teased her and said that she was so small she might not even be a real donkey.

But Josie does have wishes. She wants to grow big and strong fast, and she has another secret wish—one that is just as impossible as growing up in a hurry.