The Zebra's Stripes and other African Animal Tales
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Authors
Pienaar, Kathy
Stewart, Dianne
Issue Date
2004
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Type
Book, Whole
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Abstract
There are perhaps thirty stories in this engaging book. The stories are grouped by animals; many are etiological. After an animal's stories, there is first a pair of full-page colored illustrations and then a section Interesting facts about the animal. Most of the verbs, prepositions, and possessives are not capitalized in the titles for the various chapters. Many of the stories are fables. Leopard Cub (22) shows how a wronged animal will get revenge, often on the wrong party. How Lion and Warthog became Enemies (25) is a story that combines two frequent fable motifs; first, the lion freed by the warthog wants to eat one of the warthog's young; second, the warthog asks the lion how he became trapped in the first place. Once he has him back in the trap, he lets it close on him and leaves as he came. Baboon's Revenge on Leopard (38) has baboon convincing leopard that he wants to groom him; as he does so, he and friends bury his tail in the ground and then beat him to death in revenge for leopard's killing of their young. Peace Among the Animals (47) is UP. Jackal the Trickster (50) combines two fables, one on directional footprints and another on using your enemy's heart as your cure. Hyena, Lion and Leopard Trick Donkey (59) is the familiar story about confessing sins to stop a drought. The first three confess crimes but mutually assure each other that they are not sins; the donkey confesses a peccadillo and is eaten for it. Hippopotamus and Elephant test their Strength (69) is the story of the tug of war arranged by Hare. Tortoise Deceives Elephant (86) involves the tortoise supposedly jumping over Elephant's head. This is the old substitution trick: the tortoise's wife is on the elephant's other side.
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Publisher
Struik Publishers
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Identifier
5434 (Access ID)