Did you know that there are only two talking animals in the Bible? You can probably guess the first ... that's right, the serpent that speaks in the Garden of Eden. The second talking animal is the trusty donkey of a non-Israelite prophet named Balaam, found in Numbers 22, and if you guessed that, then extra points to you for knowing your Bible! If you didn't, that's OK, too. The story of Balaam and his donkey doesn't appear in the lectionary, and I don't think it's a regular feature in children's Bibles, either. So I wouldn't be surprised if this is a newish story even to older Christians....