How the zebra got it's stripes:
“In
the early days when the earth was young, the land was hot and dry. In
this new world, water could only be found in a few small holes scattered around
the desert.
At
one such waterhole, a baboon stood guard. The baboon proclaimed that he
was the owner of this waterhole and no one could drink there. He said
that this water is mine alone. The baboon would always chase anyone who
came by to drink.
The
baboon had built a fire close to the pool so that he could protect it during
the very cold desert nights.
One
day a zebra came by to quench his thirst after a very long and tiring
journey. In these early days, the zebra had no stripes. He wore a
dazzling coat of pure white fur.
The
baboon jumped up in anger when the zebra approached. "Who are
you? Go away!. I am the lord of this water!. It is
mine." The zebra was in no mood to listen to this selfish
baboon. "This is not your water, you ugly monkey, it belongs to
everyone" shouted the zebra.
The
baboon was furious and said that if the zebra wanted the water, he must fight
for it. The baboon and the zebra were soon engaged in a fierce
struggle. Locked in combat, they rolled around back and forth around the
waterhole. Finally, the zebra gave one mighty kick and the baboon was
sent flying high up into the rocks behind the waterhole.
The
zebra had kicked the baboon so hard that he lost his balance and fell into the
baboon's fire. The zebra sent burning sticks flying into the air when he
tried to escape the fire. These charred sticks left black scorch marks
all over the zebra's fine white coat.
Hurt
and frightened, the zebra galloped to the plains where he has remained ever
since. Eventually, the zebra came to like his new apparel which made him
stand out among the other animals.
The
baboon in the meantime, had landed on his rear-end with a mighty thud against
the hard rocks. The baboon has remained in the koppies ever since,
nursing his bald red bottom, still as angry as ever.” www.felid.org
For centuries, the
stripes on a zebra have established it as one
of the most unique and distinguishable creatures on this planet. Zebra
print has been applied to everything from handbags, coats, and shoes, and even my childhood
favorite "Fruit Stripe" gum. Often times receiving a bad rep, for its tacky pairing with blinding
neon colors and spandex, this exotic pattern can
be tastefully added to an outfit or your home.
Here is a bit of zebra from my closet.
First image via http://wallpaper.com
Images by AGA
