Bess's pet donkey Sammy, has just died. Her three cowboy lovers call to propose, and as they all arrive about the same time, Bess is in a quandary. Her recent bereavement sharpens her wits. She tells them she would marry the first one that brings her a white donkey, just like her dead Sammy. The lovers get busy. Coming to a cross road, they see an old man leading a white donkey and a wild race ensues. The old fellow thinks he's being held up, and throws up both his hands, but soon realizes that the boys want to buy his donkey. Harry wins the prize, much to his chums' chagrin. Harry, however, cannot budge the donkey. Tom and Dick separate. Dick sees a white goat, and thinking that it might please Bess better, loses no time in getting it to Bess's home. Bess is afraid of goats and her screams bring in her father, who ejects Dick and his goat. The hapless lover cannot figure out why girls liking white donkeys could not like white goats as well. In despair he goes to the woods and soon dreams of all kinds of white donkeys. Tom, in the meantime, finds a black donkey and hurries home, where he paints it white and then sets out for Bess's home. On the road he passes Harry still struggling with his stubborn donkey. Realizing that he is out of the race, Harry gives his donkey a push and departs. The stubborn donkey wanders into the woods and is grazing close to Dick, who awakens from his donkey dreams by finding one of the species standing beside him. With a shout of joy he jumps up, but finds that the donkey has a will of its own. Dick will not be balked. He leads the white donkey with a long stick tied over its back, and out in front of him a big bundle of grass tied to the end of it, hanging just out of reach of the donkey. He is greeted as the winner by Bess, and gets a wife through the aid of a stubborn cupid.