The zebra had lost count of how many times he had tried to count his stripes. In fact, not only that but he had lost count of how many stripes he had, too !
His neck ached trying to turn around to see his tail. The zebra couldn't count his stripes on the back of his neck - he span circles around a tree but it was hopeless - he had to start counting again. He started at his hooves - upto his knees there were twenty in total. The stripes on his thighs were so thick that his neck got a crick. His nose tickled his tummy and he counted another twelve. But he got lost somewhere around his belly button. Along his mane, there were three or four dozen or more, as they curved round his spine, his nose touched the floor. The stripes on his bottom were close to each other - he counted them all - then found another ! By now, the zebra was so confused with all this multiplication and addition, that he decided to start again - but bending down gave his neck a real stabbing pain ! And so on, and so on, he counted to ten, then back to the beginning, he started counting again.
© Jacqueline Richards 2005