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创世之初，大地又热又旱。在这个新世界上，只能在沙漠里零零星星的几个小洼地才能找到水。 就在这样的一个水洼旁，狒狒正在守护着，口口声声说自己是这里的主人。“谁也不准在这里喝水，这水是我的！"他一边宣布着，一边把来喝水的都赶跑了。 在寒冷的夜里，为了保护自己沙漠里的水，他在池塘边生起了火。 一天，斑马走了很远的路，疲惫不堪，来这里喝水解渴。当初，斑马身上并没有条纹。他长着一身纯白的毛皮，耀人眼目。 狒狒气呼呼地跳了起来。“你是谁？滚开！”他尖叫着，"我是水的主人。这是我的！" 斑马没心情听自私的狒狒说话。’‘这不是你的水,丑陋的猴子！这是大家的!"斑马喊道。 狒狒愤怒了，说如果要喝水的话，必须跟他决斗。 很快，他俩激烈地对打了起来，围着水洼滚来滚去，最后，斑马大力飞起一脚，把狒狒踢到水池后面的岩石中去了。 斑马踢得很凶，一下子失去了平衡，摇摇晃晃退进了狒狒生的火中。顿时，燃烧的木棍满天飞，在他漂亮的白毛皮上留下烧焦的黑斑。 斑马被烧伤了，吓得飞奔到平原上去了，直到今天还呆在那里。最后,他终于喜欢上了自己的新衣服。这身衣服让他显得卓尔不群，跟其他动物截然不同。 狒狒当时“砰”的一声，屁股重重地摔在坚硬的石头上。从那以后，他就一直生活在非洲的小山上，护理着自己没毛的红屁股，直到今天还怒气未消呢。 The Zebra’s Apparel These were the early days when the Earth was young. The land was very hot and dry. In this new world, water could be found only in a few small pans scattered around the desert. At one such pan the Baboon stood guard, claiming that he was the owner. " No one may drink here, for this water is mine alone!" he declared, chasing away all who came to drink. He had built a fire close to the pool so that he could protect his water during the bitterly cold desert nights. One day the Zebra came 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 angrily. “Who are you? Go away!” he screamed, “I am 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 he wanted the water he must fight for it. The two were soon engaged in a fierce struggle. They rolled back and forth around the pan. Finally the Zebra gave one mighty kick and the Baboon was sent flying high up into the rocks behind the pool. The Zebra had kicked so hard that he lost the balance. Staggering back into the Baboon's fire, he sent the burning sticks flying up in the air. These left black scorch marks all over his fine white coat. Hurt and frightened he galloped in to the plains where he has remained ever since. Eventually he came to like his new apparel which made him stand out, distinguished a- mongst the other animals. However, the Baboon had landed on his buttocks, with a mighty thud, amongst the hard rocks. He has remained in the koppies ever since, nursing his bald red bottom and still as angry as ever. |
