How the Waterbuck Got Its White Circle

a tale from Africa

written by Nick Greaves
Illustrated by Rod Clement

and
embellished, augmented, and otherwise pulverized by

David Torci T-560

 

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Better with Internet connection.
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introduction

 

Before we begin

I want to tell you that this is a tale from Africa about how the Waterbuck got its white circle

A tale is like a story because it has a beginning, middle, and end and explains or tells us something important about someone or something.

But a tale is not like a story because the people and things talked about are usually imaginary and from a time- long ago.

Let Us Begin

A Waterbuck is a mammal very much like a deer or an antelope. Waterbuck live in small herds on the African savanna where they graze on grass and congregate around the waterhole. They are called waterbuck because when they are threatened by predators, they jump into the water for safety.

This tale has been told by the tribesmen of the southeast region of the continent of Africa where the countries of Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique are located.

Now we will read the tale of

How the Waterbuck Got its White Circle.

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angry tribesmen with a raised arma spilled bucket nearby and a waterbuck leaving the scene
What's Going on Here?
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What's going on here?
One dark night, when there was no moon, a waterbuck mother and her young ones grazed very close to a tribesman's hut. This man had been busy whitewashing the walls of his hut in preparation for a visit by a relative, and he had left the pots of whitewash outside
 
 
 
 
(listen to cicadas and crickets in the African night)
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One of the waterbuck accidentally knocked over the pots in the dark, making such a noise that the tribesman woke up. He ran outside and was very angry to see that all of his nice white paint had been spilled. He shouted at the buck, and chased them. The waterbuck scattered and ran in all directions.

 

 

 

(listen tot he Pemba Scops Owl in the African nightl)

 

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In his anger, the tribesman picked up a pot and threw it at the mother waterbuck. It struck her firmly on the hindquarters and left a large white circle on her rump. Now this was very useful, because it showed up nicely in the dark, and her young ones were able to follow her to the safety of the forest.
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When the waterbuck realized what a useful thing it was to have a white ring around their bottoms, they decided to keep it, and from that day to this, no self-respecting waterbuck has been without one.

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The End
That is the end of our tale.

 

Epilogue

(stuff at the end of a book to bring it to a close)

The video shows life around the water hole, on the savanna.

The bird with long legs is called a stork.

Watch the elephant chase the waterbuck away from the waterhole and watch the waterbuck jump into the waterhole.

Why did the Waterbuck jump into the water hole ?

Listen to the elephant.

Can you guess what the elephant is saying to the Waterbuck ?

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