Okapi -- /okaapee/ -- a hoofed mammal, relative to the giraffe, that lives in jungles in Central Africa; sometimes known as the "forest zebra."

I dedicate this story to all of the animals in the San Diego Wild Animal Park; especially to Okapi, whom I think is the most beautiful.

Chapter One: Okapi's Decision
This is the tale of the stubborn, foolish Okapi. Long, long ago, before the tribes of ancient Africa were created, there lived a woman named Nyala. Nyala was lonely, so she created the heavens and the earth. She also created the plants and the animals of the Sahara and the jungle. She created them in all shapes and sizes, each with their own unique characteristics. There was the elegant tiger, with her beautiful red-orange coat with coal black stripes. Tiger had amazing paws that could knock down anything with one smack. Then there was the giraffe with her extremely long neck that she used to eat the leaves high in the acacia tree. Giraffe was decorated with beautiful spots covering her whole body. Another animal, Zebra, had beautiful black and white stripes covering her body. She had the advantage of herd camouflage. There were, too, the not-so-elegant animals. The hyena, for instance, had a scraggly coat and he was a scavenger. Vulture was another animal who couldn't be trusted for he was sly.

All of the animals that were created were happy, except for one. Okapi was unhappy. Even with her long legs designed for speed, her long black tongue to help her eat leaves, and her excellent hearing, Okapi was not happy. The reason for this was that she was all white. White and plain. Oh how Okapi longed to have a beautiful coat like Giraffe or Zebra! Why? Why had Nyala given her just a plain white coat? This thought bothered Okapi tremendously! So, one night Okapi decided that she would go to Sitatunga, the one who could speak to animals.

Chapter Two: Sitatunga
Once the sun had set and the lions left their dens, Okapi left her home and set off in the direction of Sitatunga's hut. She was wary while she was walking. Lions were known to prowl the desert at dusk. Once she reached Sitatunga's hut, she called out.

"Sitatunga, one who speaks to animals, it is I Okapi, requesting your knowledge," she called, her voice ringing out into the still night air. A man, almost up to Okapi's muzzle, stepped out of his hut carrying a walking staff and wearing a necklace with numerous rattlesnake fangs dangling from it. This was Sitatunga the shaman.

"What is troubling you, Okapi?" Sitatunga asked in a deep but gentle voice.

"Sitatunga, I am not one to be criticizing Nyala, for she did create the heavens, the earth and everything in it, but I believe that she made a mistake in her creating," Okapi answered in a somewhat cautious tone.

"Oh?" replied Sitatunga. "In what way?"

"Well..." Okapi started cautiously; she was not someone to criticize one who was greater than she, but if she truly wanted a new coat, "...well," Okapi continued. "I was just thinking..."

"Oh you were not just thinking!" replied Sitatunga in his booming voice. "You have been wanting a new coat ever since you caught a glimpse of yourself in the river one moon ago, Okapi. Am I not correct?"

"Yes," said Okapi lowering her head. "Yes, you are right, but how did you -- "

"That is unimportant now," replied Sitatunga. I am sure that Nyala gave you a pure white coat for a good reason, Okapi," replied Sitatunga.

"Yes, yes I suppose so... but I really would like a new coat. Can you not help?" she asked.

"I can. However --"

"Oh, will you? Please!" pleaded Okapi.

Sitatunga sighed, then said, "Come in then."

Chapter Three: The New Coat
At these words, Okapi felt as if she could have jumped higher than any gazelle in all of Africa!

"What can you do?" she asked excitedly.

"That depends on what kind of coat you want. I can make your coat be brown. That I think would look very n -- " but Okapi interrupted.

"Could you make my coat just like Zebra's?" she asked anxiously. "Zebra gets all of the attention of the other animals!" she followed.

"Is popularity what you want? Do you really want to change your coat just to get attention?" asked Sitatunga.

"Well, not just for popularity," replied Okapi humedly. She didn't want Sitatunga to think she wanted to be just like someone else. However, deep down inside, she felt that maybe she should keep her white coat. Maybe she should stay the way she is now. The way she was made.

"Well...?" questioned Sitatunga.

I want stripes like Zebra," answered Okapi firmly, ignoring her inner feelings.

"Well then," said Sitatunga with a look of skepticism on his face. "Well then, come along inside."

Inside, Sitatunga's hut was very cramped and crowded. There were dried fruits strung from the ceiling and beautiful pots and gourds on the earthen floor. On the floor in the right hand corner lay a straw mattress with a thin blanket and a white pillow. Near the middle of the floor was a small hole about a foot deep. In the hole was a small pile of ashes. No doubt they were the remains of a nighttime fire before Sitatunga fell asleep. Two carved wooden drums were sitting side by side near the foot of the bed. On the other side of the room was a shelf with about thirty gourds, all looking very old, each with a different colored liquid in it. There was one gourd filled with a purple liquid next to a very large gourd, almost as big as Okapi's hoof, filled with a green liquid that, every once and a while brought bubbles to the surface. This hut is very interesting! thought Okapi. I wonder what all of those liquids are for. As if reading her mind (which Okapi had the feeling that Sitatunga could do) he answered her.

"Do you like my potions collection?"

"Your. . .what?" asked Okapi curiously.

"Potions, they are like a sort of magic mixture, Okapi," explained Sitatunga. "But we will not be needing them today. Now, come with me to the back of my hut." He walked out of the hut with Okapi behind him. Once they were outside again, Sitatunga said to Okapi, "Now Okapi, this is very tricky magic, so you must be very clear about what you want. Are you sure you want stripes?"

"Yes," returned Okapi before stopping to think. So what if Nyala didn't make her that way. All of the other animals would like her with stripes, wouldn't they? Sitatunga's voice brought Okapi back to earth.

"Now Okapi, I must warn you. Once you decide the way you want to be, you have only two more chances to change yourself. No more, no less. Is that clear?" he asked.

"Yes," said Okapi impatiently. "Yes. That's fine."

Sitatunga gave her an unconvinced look, then said, "Now then, close your eyes tight. Do not peek." Okapi did so, feeling anticipation all over. "Good. Now concentrate on having stripes. Are you concentrating?"

Okapi pictured herself as a Zebra, but in a way, more like herself. . .with stripes. "Yes," she repeated, "yes."

"All right then," said Sitatunga. "Concentrate... now.. .oh yes, are you calm? You must be calm for this to work properly," he said.

Okapi nodded in agreement. She heard Sitatunga mumbling something she couldn't understand. Her attention now, however was not on Sitatunga's voice, but on what she felt. For at that moment a warm sensation had come over her whole body. It felt as if a warm breeze were tickling her all over. lt was a wonderful feeling. All too soon, however, it had stopped. Okapi opened her eyes. She tried to look down at her new coat, but it was too dark to see anything at the moment. Sitatunga, however, looked pleased with himself.

"Now Okapi, go on home. Tomorrow you can have a look at your new coat," Sitatunga told her, and he went into his hut.

Chapter Four: Zebra's Suggestion
The next morning, Okapi awoke with the sun. She wandered down to the water hole to catch a glimpse of her new coat. When she got there she saw herself, strikingly beautiful and with a new black and white striped coat. She admired herself for a while longer, every now and then turning from side to side. Then, from behind her came a sweet voice.

"Zebra! What are you doing up so early in the morning?" called the voice. Okapi turned around and faced Giraffe. "Zebra?" she said puzzled. "Wait. . .is that..."

"I can explain!" called Okapi desperately.

"It is Okapi!" exclaimed Giraffe. With that, she turned and sprinted across the plain. Okapi thought she heard her muttering something like "foolish" as Giraffe left. This was not the reaction Okapi had hoped for. What was Giraffe going to do now? Was she going to tell the other animals? In fifteen minutes time, Okapi's question was answered.

"Wow! Okapi! Your coat is beautiful!" came a soft voice. Okapi spun around to find that she was facing Zebra. Behind Zebra, Okapi could see Antelope, Gazelle, Giraffe, and Elephant looking intently at her, all with the same expression. What was that expression? Okapi wondered.

"Do you really like it?" asked Okapi tentatively.

'Well, I do, but why didn't you keep your old coat?" she questioned.

"I just thought...that coat wasn't...well...beautiful enough," she said shyly.

"Foolish Okapi," said Giraffe lovingly. "Did you not realize that you already were beautiful?" Okapi had no answer.

"Did you get the coat from Sitatunga?" asked Gazelle. Okapi had never really seen Gazelle up close. She had beautiful long horns coming out of her sleek, tan and white head. Okapi had never realized how stunningly lovely Gazelle was.

"Yes I did," Okapi replied slowly.

"Then go back to him," suggested Antelope in a voice much harder than Zebra's, but still with a sweet tone. She too had a beautiful tan face. She also had a shimmery brown coat.

"Okapi, you do know you are beautiful don't you?" asked Zebra.

"I .. .I guess," she said. She supposed when she took a look at herself and thought about it, that she really was beautiful. In a way...

"You are beautiful both on the inside and out," said Elephant. Elephant was one of the wisest animals in all of Africa. "Go back to Sitatunga, Okapi," said Elephant. "Tell him what you really want."

"All right," said Okapi. "I will go tonight."

Chapter Five: Back to Sitatunga
The sun set low on the horizon. Okapi was heading across the desert towards the direction of Sitatunga's hut. As she walked, she thought about her friends. She was glad that she was taking their advice. She realized now that she needed to be herself, not someone else. She reached the hut in about a half an hour's time. When she got there she could see a fire in the hut, hear a soft drum beating, and heard Sitatunga's voice singing softly in African.

"Sitatunga! One who speaks to animals. It is I, Okapi, requesting your knowledge once again," she called. The drumming and singing stopped. Inside she saw a shadow of a man get up and walk towards the entrance of the hut. The flap was thrown open and Sitatunga stepped out.

"Back again, Okapi," said Sitatunga, more as a statement than a question. "The wise council of your friends told you to come here, did they not?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Okapi. "Sitatunga, I realize that I have been foolish. I am asking for you to make my coat white again," confessed Okapi.

"Have you finally realized that you truly are beautiful?" asked Sitatunga amused. "Did you realize that when I asked you so many times if you were sure that you wanted to change your coat that I was trying to help you keep your own natural beauty? And was I not right that Nyala always has a reason for things to be the way they are?"

"I know I have been foolish," repeated Okapi quietly. "That is the reason I would like my old coat back again," she told him firmly.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" asked Sitatunga, looking relieved that Okapi had discovered her natural beauty and came back to him.

The next day Okapi was greeted with many compliments on her new/old coat. Zebra was delighted.

"Okapi, we told you that you were beautiful!" she told Okapi happily. "We told you that you were beautiful, and now look! Here is proof!" Okapi spent the rest of the morning with her friends feeling elated. When noon came she decided to take a walk. She wanted to be alone for a while. How good my friends are to me. She thought as she left. They knew that I was beautiful. They helped me be myself. I am grateful to them for their knowledge and friendship.

Chapter Six: A Chat With Vulture
Even from miles away, Vulture could see Okapi wandering across the hot sandy plain. He had heard how Okapi had tried to change her coat to be just like Zebra's, and how Zebra had told her that she was beautiful with just a plain white coat.

Now, it was in Vulture's nature to make anyone and everyone as miserable as he possibly could. Even before Okapi could see him, the clever bird had created a plan. He flew from the rest of his carrion meal and landed in the tree that Okapi was resting under. "What are you doing so far from your friends?" croaked Vulture to Okapi. Okapi jumped. She hadn't realized that she had a visitor.

"Oh," she said. "I was just walking. Beautiful day today, isn't it?" she asked cautiously. She had heard things about Vulture that would make a Hyena's hair stand on end. She didn't want to get on his bad side.

Vulture acted like he hadn't heard her last words. "So," he said coolly. "So you have decided to take back your...coat." He said this last word with a sneer, his eyes sparkling. He made it sound as if her coat was almost laughable.

Okapi held her head high and answered, "I decided that the coat I was given was the best for me," she said.

Vulture laughed coarsely, so that the birds in the tree above him took flight. "Okapi, you take a look at me!" he said smiling slyly. "Do you possibly think that these scraggly feathers were intended to be for a good purpose? Do you think that these are the best covering for me?"

'What do you mean?" asked Okapi.

"Come on...think!" said Vulture looking like he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Do you mean...that maybe the feathers Nyala gave you were not the best?" she asked, puzzled.

"Not just my feathers. Who else can you think of that might have something too...plain?" he said, annunciating the last word clearly in a cold voice.

"You mean my coat, don't you?" asked Okapi testily. "Well, Zebra and her friends say that I am beautiful anyway! The way Nyala made me," she said, her voice rising.

"Yes, but do they really mean it? Or were they just looking for something to laugh at? Oh believe me," replied Vulture, seeing the astonished look on Okapi's face. "Think, Okapi. They are all beautiful. They want something to laugh at. Do you really trust them, or are they just using you. Now me, on the other hand, I have no beauty whatsoever. I am not one to criticize you. Now...what do you think?"

Okapi thought. She just couldn't imagine Zebra or any of the other animals being the way Vulture had described. But, there was some sense in what he said. What if he was right?

"Well..." demanded Vulture curiously.

Okapi then thought back on what Giraffe had done when she had first seen Okapi's new coat. When she went to fetch the others, was she smirking, or was it a smile? Deep down inside she felt that Vulture was wrong, but then again...she was uncertain. "I have to go," said Okapi hurriedly. She rushed off back the way she came.

Vulture took flight from the tree and, smirking with satisfaction, went off in search of another abandoned kill.

Chapter Seven: A Horrible Mistake
Okapi was running fast, still trying to take in everything Vulture had said. She cantered back to Sitatunga's hut. She'd show them. She'd show Zebra and her friends that she could be beautiful! As she was running, she came to Zebra's group. Careful not to be seen, she worked her way around the back of the small group. She caught snatches of phrases like "Okapi" and "coat". Then she heard laughter. Blocking their words from her head, Okapi ran towards Sitatunga's hut. When she got there, she did not shout out politely, but she demanded for Sitatunga to come out.

"I thought you wanted a plain white coat, Okapi," said Sitatunga when he heard what Okapi was asking him to do.

"That is not what I want now!" cried Okapi. She was angry that Zebra had betrayed her. "I want Zebra's wavy stripes, Antelopes sleek, tan face, and Gazelle's long, slender horns!" Sitatunga tried to convince her that Zebra's words were true. However, Okapi was stubborn, and would not listen. Sitatunga could see that there was no persuading Okapi. Reluctantly, he told her to come to the back of the hut.

"You are very sure of this, Okapi?" he asked one more time.

Okapi, still fuming, did not stop to think about what she was saying. All that she knew was that she wanted to get revenge on Zebra and the others.

"I told you, I want stripes like Zebra, a tan face like Antelope, and horns like Gazelle," she told him firmly.

"All right," returned Sitatunga reluctantly. He summoned Nyala and told her exactly what Okapi wanted. He told Nyala that he tried persuading her to keep her original coat, but she was too stubborn. "I do not agree," Sitatunga told Nyala. "However, she is stubborn! She will not listen to a word I say!"

"Grant her wish then," came Nyala's voice in Sitatunga's head. "She will have to learn a lesson." Finally, Okapi's wish was granted. But, as she was not calm and instead was mad at Zebra, the spell did not work properly. When Okapi had been calm, the spell worked just fine. However, Okapi wanted revenge this time. Nyala did not approve of revenge. Sitatunga finished the spell. Okapi looked down, but could not see herself, so she thanked Sitatunga and galloped toward where Zebra and her friends stood. She left Sitatunga shaking his head, feeling sorry for the stubborn, foolish animal as she left.

When Okapi reached Zebra's group she approached from the back. She was about to walk into the center of the small circle when the words Zebra spoke made her stop in her tracks.

"I am so glad that Okapi changed her coat to the one that Nyala gave her," Zebra's voice was saying. "Now she can truly be herself."

"I agree," came Giraffe's voice. "Besides, she is very pretty." All of the other animals nodded in agreement. It took Okapi only a moment to realize just what an awful mistake she had made.

Vulture was wrong! Zebra did want Okapi to have a white coat. A white coat, not to laugh at, but to let Okapi realize that she needed to be herself. And what had she done? She had taken the word of a scoundrel! Taken the word of one about whom she had heard dreadful stories! Okapi felt miserable. She was angry with herself for ever trusting Vulture! Crying about her stubbornness and her foolishness, she ran to the watering hole.

When she got there thankfully, it was deserted. When Okapi looked into the water, however, she saw just what the spell had done to her. She was a mess! Instead of long, slender horns, she had short stubs jutting out of her not tan, but white head. Her body was not striped, but dark brown. Her legs were a mix between Zebra's stripes and Antelope's brown coat. What had she done?

For a moment, she just stood there, gazing horror-struck at her own reflection. She was just thinking of going back to Sitatunga when she remembered his words. Once you decide the way you want to be, you have only two more chances to change yourself. No more, no less. She had just used up her third and final chance! Okapi was so depressed and so embarrassed that she fled into the jungle, without thinking that her friends could still accept her.

From then on, Okapi has lived in the jungle, concealed from most of the world. The few times she has been seen, it was only for a brief moment, before she would move off to a denser patch of shadows. It has been that way since the day Okapi left the desert and her friends.

This is the tale of the stubborn, foolish Okapi. So my grandmother told me, and her grandmother before her, and her grandmother before her. It has been passed on from the great Sitatunga himself.