Three Boys and a Burro

The cleavers had about half a dozen shows themed around getting a pet, having a problem with the pet, then getting rid of the pet. These have included dogs, horses, reptiles, frogs, even monkeys. In this case, a burro. All of these pet shows are themed the same, and unentertaining. Why would Mr. and Mrs. Cleaver even give permission for Beaver to buy a burro in the first place? In a city suburb? Not. I love the series, but the writers really needed to get away from this tired plot line.

Like most kids, Beaver jumps from one thing to another, and a for-sale burro is no different than any other exciting animal. The idea of owning your own burro would thrill any kid, since you'd more than likely be the only kid in town with that kind of pet. Having two friends that can chip in to help buy the pricey animal makes it even better, since hardly any kid could afford a burro on his own.

Stories like this are a Leave It to Beaver staple. After all, it's a happy, fun-filled situation comedy, not a true-to-life drama like some people seem to think it is. The episode is as fresh and entertaining as any other. But the story also mimics real life for kids lucky enough to live in an area where owning a burro is completely normal. Not all towns are big metropolitan type areas. Even so, it's common to keep chickens and other such animals in big cities, even today.