*KENYAN FOLK TALES : Why Zebras have Striped Skins*

*Long ago before people started taming any other animal apart from the dogs, it was said that donkeys could also be tamed. One day, after hunting, a man decided to find a way to carry the killed animals he had to home not by himself. He saw a donkey pass nearby in the bush. He slowly put the load on its back, it didn’t attack or run away. Together he led the donkey to his home and then fed him. Soon the donkey was famous for its hard work throughout the village and the surrounding area. People set out to hunt for donkeys and use them to carry heavy loads. Realizing their friends gradually disappeared and hearing the rumors that their captured friends had to work very hard and were treated badly, the other donkeys found all the ways to prevent that would happen to them. They asked the help from a Hare. Hare was willing to help with whitewash in a huge can. But the donkeys didn’t understand what Hare was going to do. Hare tried to explain to them. The donkeys were still stubborn and no one dared to let Hare paint it. For a while, there was one donkey to accept that experiment. After seeing this donkey, other donkeys admired this color of the donkey and wanted to be the first to be like this donkey. The chaos, struggling and fighting started. Even Hare warned them to be careful. After a number of donkeys had been painted, because the chaos, struggling and fighting continued until one donkey pushed to the front with such force that he stepped in the bucket that contained the whitewash. The whole bucket overturned pouring out all the paint. This was the end of everything. Hare couldn’t do more to help them.*

*Hence, those donkeys that had been painted were safe from people’s reach. They changed their names from donkeys to zebras.*