A herd of zebra lived in the savannah of Africa. The happy herd was waiting for a happy event: The birth of a baby zebra. It did not matter if the baby was a male or a female. The bottom line was that their herd would grow and be numerous to roam the land and cross the rivers.
One fine day, when the sun had just shown its forehead on the horizon, the zebra was born. All the zebras looked at him, but none of them could whine, neither joy nor amazement. The mare (female of zebra) was ashamed to have given them such a zebra. She got up, pushed him and went away. Disappointed, the other zebras decided to abandon him. But why this rejection? Simply because it did not look like them! He was born all white and without even a single black line on the paw.
The poor little zebra tried to follow them anyway; however, they were faster than him and had already disappeared on the horizon. He went on alone. Sometimes he found something to graze and other times just drink waiting; so he would bewainting to find some branches or leaves to chew.
After months, he met a herd of gazelles by a river. Stunned to see such a creature, they did not hesitate to approach him and examine him from ears to paws. Then they accepted him in their herd. As he was very resourceful, they offered him to be their leader. A leader who would take them to the pasture and look after them.
The gazelles felt safe with him because he knew all the streams, the passages that tigers, lions, cheetahs and hyenas used to find. He had found a lake surrounded by dense vegetation which no predator could reach for he alone knew the passage.
Years went by, and the herd of gazelles grew larger because it did not have to move more. They did not have to search for grazing anymore neither lose its young members because of ferocious animals. They were happy and proud to have a leader who did not exist anywhere in the savannah; however, the zebra was still sad to be abandoned by his family and kept thinking about them.
During the high season, when water and vegetation were scarce, the zebra heard loud neighs. He had a twinge in the heart and went to see what was happening. He saw his people. They were anxious and scattering in all directions because they were followed by a pack of cheetahs. He galloped with all his strength and motioned for them to follow him to the lake. He was galloping and pushing the little ones and the most vulnerable prey in the middle of the heard to protect them. Finally, they were saved … His mom approached him, stared at him for a long time, shed tears and said: “Forgive me my zebra. I never stopped thinking of you!”.
And since that day, the zebra became famous.
