Mules

I don’t know how we arrived at the subject, but Jilly and I are talking about farm animals.

Me: …and mules. Shit. Was it mules or donkeys that are the infertile ones?

Jilly: what

Me: I think it’s mules. Mules are a hybrid species of horses and donkeys.

Me: …or was it donkeys are the product of a horse and a mule?

Jilly: Infertile though?

Me: Yeah. Horses are similar enough to mules that they can reproduce and get a donkey.

Me: No. Wait. Horses… and donkeys… make mules

Jilly: So all the mules out there aren’t making babies?

Me: They are not.

Jilly: I don’t believe you.

Jilly: “…A mule is the product of a male donkey and a female horse.”

Me: Yeah, that.

Jilly: “a hinny is the product of a female donkey and a male horse.”

Me: I have not heard of that.

Jilly: But their chromosomes don’t line up…

Jilly: So all the mommy mules and the daddy mules… can’t have babies!

Me: Well, by that definition there are no parent mules

Jilly: THAT’S SO SAD

Me: Is it?

Jilly: I want the mules to have love, too!

Me: Who says they don’t?

Jilly: They can’t make babies! Do they even have sex?

Me: I am not well versed in the sex lives of mules

Jilly: But… but….

Me: Are you crying?

Jilly: I JUST FEEL BAD FOR THE MULES, OKAY?