The story of the Zebra
#KeWildlife – Story 6
There was a time when there were many donkeys. And when we say many, we mean that after every kilometre you would come across at least fifteen donkeys. These animals were valued by porters who would use their donkeys to carry goods over long distances every day.
Day in and day out, the donkeys toiled, but their owners – the porters – never appreciated them or let them get enough rest.
On one sunny day as a group of donkeys crossed each other’s paths, they stopped to talk.
“I’m very tired from all the work I do,” one donkey said.
“Me too,” said another. “My master never appreciates me.”
“All I want to do is relax and eat the grass without having to work ever again!” said another donkey.
And all the donkeys present agreed that they too wanted to stop working.
“But how can we get to relax when every time a porter sees a donkey, they make us work?” asked the first donkey.
“Maybe we should visit the wise, old man. He might know how to help us.” responded another.
That afternoon, as most of the donkeys were busy at work, two of the donkeys went up a green hill to visit a wise, old man who lived there. The wise, old man was respected because he cared and was kind to every man and animal. The two donkeys explained to the wise, old man their problem and the man listened and sympathized with the donkeys.
He scratched his head and bit his fingernails as he pondered on solution ideas.
Finally, “I have an idea!” the man exclaimed after a while.
“Can you help us?” asked one donkey.
“Yes I can, I’m going to get some of the paint that I have in my house and make you look less of a donkey. But once I paint you, you will never look like a donkey again.”
The donkeys brayed in excitement for they were tired of being donkeys.
The wise, old man brought out two pots of paint; one was filled with black paint and the other had white paint. He began painting the two donkeys, coating them first with the white paint and thereafter incorporating the black in form of stripes that cut through the white.
When he was done, the donkeys looked beautiful!
“You are no longer donkeys, but what shall you call yourselves?” the wise, old man asked when he was through.
The donkeys thought, and so did the old, man. “I have another idea,” said the wise, old man. “I could call you zebras!”
*
When the new zebras returned to their donkey friends, they looked less like donkeys and more like new animals. No porter asked them to work – and when the other donkeys saw this, they scrambled up the hill to the wise, old man’s house asking him to paint them too.
The wise, old man brought out his pots of paint and one by one he painted the donkeys that came. But as the day progressed, more donkeys lined up and he became tired. He started painting slower than when he began. The more donkeys that came, the impatient they got as they stood in line. When a ruffle began in the queue, one of the donkeys stepped too close to the wise, old man’s pot with white paint and the pot broke. The paint spilled all over.
“I have no more white paint!” exclaimed the wise, old man. “You have to go back as you are.”
So the donkeys that had been transformed to zebras remained as beautiful, while the impatient donkeys remained as they were and continued to labour under their porters’ schedules.
Kenya’s beautiful zebras draw in attention from miles away. You can find them grazing and lounging, enjoying the benefits of their beauty at Hell’s Gate National Park, Meru National Park and Amboseli National Park.
