The Zebra and the Squirrel

“What a shame you have brought to the family Destiny.” Mother scolded. 

“I’m sorry ma, I really am; but it wasn’t my fault you see I-”

“No buts! Go to your room and wait until your father gets home.” 

I did as I was told and went to my room. I landed on my bright yellow colored bed with a thump.It wasn’t fair. Zebras should be allowed to talk to any animal they wished no matter. But no, Ma insists that talking to a squirrel is dangerous, like the squirrel’s going to attack me or something. Benny is my only friend. Sure, people do look at us weird when going down the dusty road, but all that matters is that we are great friends. 

“Benny and Destiny partners in fun” I said with my hooves on my hips. 

I blew my hair out of my face. Just then I heard something hit the window. At first I thought it was just a tree branch brushing against the window. But it came again and this time it sounded more like something harder, like a rock. I rushed to the window and looked down. Sure enough there was Benny with an armload of acorns ready to be thrown. I lifted the window up. 

“Benny! What are you doing here?”

“Come and play!” He said jumping up and down.

“I can’t. Ma says I have to wait until Pa comes.”

Benny had a big question mark on his face of confusion. 

“Why?” He said scratching his head.

“Because I’m in trouble. Ma says we can’t play together anymore. She says I put shame to the family or something like that.”

“Destiny who are you talking to?” My mother’s voice came through the door. 

“No one Ma!”

“I hear voices Destiny.”

“It’s just the television.” I said rather impatiently. 

 “Destiny you’re not supposed to be watching television when you’re under punishment.”

“Sorry Ma I’ll turn it off.” 

I heard her footsteps turn away. When I looked down, out the window, Benny was gone. I slumped on the windowsill in fury. 

“Thought I disappeared, didn’t you?” A voice said behind me. 

“Benny!” 

“Sssssssssssssh! You don’t want your Ma to hear, do you?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot.” I lowered my voice. 

I thought for a moment, and then something occurred to me. 

“Hey Benny, how did you get up here?” He looked at me with big eyes. 

“I climbed the wall. I’m a squirrel silly.” I hit myself in the head with disgust. 

“Oh yeah silly me, of course I forgot squirrels can climb; I even forgot that you’re a squirrel.” 

He looked at me with disbelief. 

“So what do you want to do?” I asked. Benny shrugged. I walked over to my entertainment center. “Do you want to play a game?” I asked. 

Just then there was a loud bangfrom the front door. Uh-oh.

“Quick, hide!” I said to Benny. He looked around the room. 

“Where do I hide?”

“Anywhere!” I rushed to my bedroom door and put my ear against it. I could hear faint footsteps coming up the stairs.

“Hurry he’s coming!” Benny hopped into the hamper basket just as the door opened. I looked up. Pa looked at me like someone had stolen his dinner. 

“Mother told me what happened. How could you do such a thing?”

“We are on the same subject right? About getting in trouble just for talking to a squirrel?” 

Pa frowned.

“Yes of course, what did you think I was talking about?”

“Oh nothing I just thought you looked a little too angry to be upset about a little thing that’s all.”

“It might be little to you but it’s not little to your mother and I.” 

I looked down at the floor. I heard a rustling sound and looked towards the hamper basket. There was a bushy tail hanging out the side of the basket. I looked up at Pa to see if he noticed. He hadn’t seen a thing. He was still too focused on punishing me to see Benny’s tail. 

“Son, zebras don’t talk to squirrels for a reason.”

“What reason is that?”

“Have a seat and I’ll tell you.” He pointed to my bed. I sat next to him. He turned to look at me straight in the eyes and opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it thinking better of the idea. “Son…” He paused again, lost in his own thoughts. “Son let me tell you an old family story…”

“It isn’t going to be an hour long is it? Like the fathers tell their sons long stories in the books that take up the whole book?” 

Pa looked at me with deep disgust as if he might smack me at any minute. “No.” He said. I was surprised, at first I thought I was really going to get it. After that I didn’t try anything else; I wouldn’t push my luck. Pa cleared his throat and began. “Once upon a time there lived a squirrel in a tree; and by that tree stood a house. Three zebras lived in that house; one mother, one father, and one child. They were very poor zebras. Their house was falling apart, and they ate every strand of grass they had on the prairie.” He paused and looked towards the hamper basket with a puzzled look. I froze. I could hear my heart beating in heavy thumps. Pa turned back to me and continued. I sighed of relief. 

“So, one day the child went outside for a walk and came across a sack. Curious as he was, he opened the sack and took a peek. He was so shocked by what he found that he practically fell over. He got back up and ran as fast as his four legs could take him back to the house.” He paused again this time as if he was thinking but trying not to show it. I thought it was funny how he thought I had no idea what he was doing. I mean, could he be any more obvious? He’s clearly making up a story to teach me a lesson (a rather terrible story if you ask me) about staying away from Benny. If this is my punishment, I must have a golden rock somewhere full of nothing but luck. Too bad the story makes no sense. Oh well, he tried. I’ll give him credit for that. Pa cleared his throat once more. 

“He rushed through the door breaking it off its hinges, giving Mother a startle. ‘MOTHER, LOOK!!’ He cried. ‘Look what I found!’ He said holding up the sack. ‘I found a sack full of gold. Pure GOLD!!’ Mother turned and looked at the child holding indeed a sack clenched in his teeth. ‘Well let’s see it then. Open it, open it!’  She told the child. 

“Pa,” I interrupted. He looked up at me in frustration. “Where is this story going?” He looked at me like I had two horns sticking out of my head. I guess that meant, how I could ask such a question? 

“My point is, you should never trust a squirrel, and zebras have had many times of bad luck with squirrels.”

“Why? What if it was the zebra’s fault?” 

Pa pondered this with a confused expression on his face. He turned and left the room. I could hear him talking to Ma about what I said. He was probably thinking of why he hadn’t thought of that before. I turned towards the hamper. 

“It’s safe to come out now.” 

Benny popped his head out to see if the coast was clear. He had an old sock on his head as he did so. “Thanks; that was a close one.”

“Yeah, I don’t think Ma and Pa will be bothering us anymore.” I said. 

Benny looked at me funny then shrugged. “Ok.” 

I looked out the window. 

“Race you to the oak tree.” I said. Benny dashed out the window faster than a speeding bullet with me right behind him.