How Zebra’s Got Their Stripes

Long, long ago at the beginning of time when the earth was still young, many of the animals looked very different to how we know them today. The zebra was as white as the snow on top of the mountains and the baboon was covered in fur from his head to his tail. The shining white zebra stallion was extremely vain and would admire his reflection in a pool of water. "How beautiful I am," he would say shaking his head and flicking his tail.

One day the zebra stallion saw the ugly baboon across the banks of the Umfoloze river. "See how beautiful I am you ugly baboon!" he cried, his voice echoing off the hills. The baboon tossed his head in anger and with rolling eyes barked back, "You silly zebra, you may be more beautiful, but I am stronger!"

The baboon challenged the zebra to a fight.

The very next night, by the light of a huge fire, the whole Zulu tribe came out to watch the zebra and the baboon in battle. The baboon edged the zebra closer and closer to the fire. He was a sly creature and had secretly surrounded the fire with a ring of stones. As the zebra came nearer to the flames he tripped on the stones and fell on his back onto the sticks of the fire. He screamed in agony as the burning sticks branded his pure white hide with black stripes. Jumping up in rage and pain he kicked the baboon so hard that all the hair fell off his backside.

And that is why today the zebra has stripes and the baboon has a backside bald and pink.

Why the Warthog Walks on his Knees

The warthog built himself a house out of an old ant termite hill. He hollowed out the inside and made a wide, grand entrance on one side so that all the animals would be able to see his beautiful house. He stood proudly outside as the giraffe and the antelope walked past, "See my fine house," he would say, "nobody has a house as fine as mine."

One day Bhubesi the lion came prowling by. Warthog suddenly realized that because of his vanity he had made the entrance to his house so large that the lion would be able to enter. The lion chased him into his house. "AAAiiiiish!" said the warthog to himself, "What shall I do now?" He decided to copy the trick used by the wily jackal. He got down on his knees and thrust his rear end up to the roof. "Be careful Bhubesi" he shouted, "the roof is falling down, run before it comes down on your head!" The lion shook his head and the lion is no fool. The jackal had tried that particular trick on him before. Luckily for warthog, lion wasn’t hungry, but before letting warthog go, he made him promise to walk about on his knees as a sign of respect.

The warthog is a slow witted animal, and that is why, until this day, you will see the warthog as he grazes on the sweet grass, down on his knees with his rear end in the air.