How the Wildebeest Got His Mixed-up Body - A Just So Story by Bekah

A Just So Story: How the Wildebeest got his mixed up body

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Once in the beginning of time, when Elo the mighty creator had finished giving all the animals their different forms, there was a wildebeest, who lived in the Snarly Gnarly Jungle on the very edge of the Great African Grasslands.  Every day Wildebeest trudged to the clear blue watering hole by the Mucky Mud Holes on the other edge of the Great African Grasslands to get his daily drink. On one of these days he spotted his friend, Horse, across the watering hole.  Shoving and straining through the crowd for a drink, he couldn’t help marveling at Horse’s mighty, muscular figure. “I could have used those long legs today,” Wildebeest muttered to himself. Staring at the reflection of his own short, stubby legs, he sighed, and went back to drinking.

Now Elo was walking by on his daily stroll around his brand new Earth and saw Wildebeest staring. He thought a moment and then “poof”.

Wildebeest felt himself rise up and looking down discovered that his legs seemed different.  When he tried walking he went faster. When he tried running he zipped around the watering hole twice.  Panting, he eventually pranced back for another drink and couldn’t help fixating on his friend, Mule, with his fabulous facial features. Turning back down to drink his own reflection paled in comparison.

Elo, after chatting with the chinchillas and conversing with Cheetah, came around to the watering hole and saw Wildebeest staring once again. He thought a moment and then, “poof”.

Wildebeest felt his face twist and turn. Looking down at his reflection his face seemed to have changed.  Deciding to ignore it, he went for another sprint on his mighty, muscular horse-like legs around the watering hole, and, puffing, soon returned to drink. Dipping his head to sip he suddenly saw Mule’s face staring up at him. Blinking, he surveyed the area around him, but saw nobody.  Looking again he realized it was his own face. Throwing his head up, he laughed with glee and couldn’t help but gaze at Cow with her gloriously grand horns. Turning back to the water, he saw his own bare forehead and, with a sigh, went back to drinking.

When Elo came about again after dancing with Deer and kicking with the kangaroos, he saw Wildebeest turning his head to stare. He thought a moment, then, “poof”.

Wildebeest felt his head get more weighty than usual and decided to go for another run to clear it.  Puzzled he returned for a drink of water. Plunging his head in for a drink he realized there were horns on his head. He pranced for joy. Amidst his jolly jumping, however, he couldn’t help but see Goat on the other side of the watering hole with his superbly, stunning beard. Looking down at his own plain, ordinary chin, he heaved a sigh, and went back to drinking.

Elo, after gossiping with the gorillas and joking with Jack Rabbit, observed Wildebeest staring yet again.  He thought a moment and then, “poof”.

Wildebeest brought his head up and noted that his chin felt wetter than usual.  To dry it off he decided to go for another run, and when he got back took a look at his reflection. Seeing a beard on his chin he leaped for delight but as he did so he saw a very strange animal staring up at him from the water. Upon observing the area around he saw no such animal and eventually he realized that the strange animal was himself. Just then he heard snickers and muffled laughs. Not daring to look up Wildebeest headed home.

Elo, looking down from his throne in the high heavens, remarked:

“Yearning for another’s special feature will just end up making yours look bleaker.”

And so, to this day, the Wildebeest never looks up for fear that he will grow yet another strange feature.