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Oban's Myths & Legends

How the Zebra got its Stripes
by Ginny - aged 12½
Forest City - U.S.A.

Zebra without stripesZebras, many years ago were not black and white. They were white.

Some would say that they were a mixture between a white horse, and a donkey or mule.

People at this time were still trying to domesticate (or train) wild horses so they could show them off, and prance around on them since they were so beautiful.

Now zebras were called zebras since they were a bit different from horses, and mules. But it was very difficult to catch, and train a zebra. One day a zebra which was still very young, wondered off into the village. Many people started to stare and whisper about how they would catch it.

The zebra became alarmed, and realized what they would try to do. So he frantically began to run. People started to run inside to get a net to catch the zebra with. He ran and ran. Finally he had an idea.

Head of a ZebraHe found some black paint, and tipped it out of the pot that it was in. It splattered out into little wavy lines.

So he rolled in it until his body was covered with black stripes. He did this thinking that it would make him ugly.

The people of the village finally found him, and realized what he had done to himself. They didn't think that he was pretty any more since he had black blurry stripes all over him. So they let him go.

Zebra 2 months oldSoon all zebras did that so that people would leave them alone.

Then gradually they didn't need too. Zebras started to be born like that except they were beautiful.

The End.

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