Donkey Wolf is an aging wolf that could no longer keep up with his wolf pack, so he is on his own. He is called Donkey Wolf because his ears are longer than other wolves' ears, and he gets teased because of it. He has been living close to a mining camp because it is easier to eat the food scraps the cook throws out to the dogs than it is to hunt for food on his own. Even though his life has become easier, he is very lonely, and every now and then, he hopes for at least one more adventure in his life. When he overhears the sparrows the miners keep to detect deadly gasses in the mine talking about escape, he decides to help them. He helps free them from their cages and vows to help them get to the ocean to get back on the big, wooden boat that brought them from England to America. They go through a few adventures, good and bad, but with the help of some animal friends and a Native American boy, they get where they are going. What will they find when they get there?