disturbing zebras

[Jester]

im writing a cause and effect paper and i just wanted to throw this question out there....

why do zebras have stripes?

I'll accept any answer, any at all the you might have.

[Basil]

Stripes have a slimming effect, which is good for those "full-figured" zebras.

[subterranean]

When I was a little there's this book with the story why zebra has black and white stripe.

Once upon a time, there's a black horse. He feels envy with other animals with beautiful colors and he starts to compare himself with other animals, and He complains why God created him in such afwul colors. He tells his friends about this, a monkey and a hippo. His friends try to give him some words of consolation, yet he still feels sad. Then the monkey says that there's this cave which can grant all kinds of wishes. He urges his friends to accompany him there.
Once he arrives at the place, he doubts a little. But then streghtens himself and enter the cave. His friends wait at the cave mouth. Inside he says his wishes.."I wish to be was white as snow". for some time nothing happenes, yet when he gets out of the cave, he's as white as now. He's so happy and his friends say how charming he is. But then the monkey says," On second tought, white skin is awful, it gets dirty so ealisy..specially in rainy seasons"..The hippo agrees. Then the horse feels sad and he enters the cave again, this time he wants to be black again. When he gets out, his friends welcome him with cheerful smiles..But again the monkey says, "Well i knoe that white gets dirty easily, but I have to admit that you look marvelous in white". Then the horse says.."Oh, should i enter the cave again?"..His friends say that he should. Then He enters the cave again and say his wish. This happens over and over again..The horse keeps changing his mind and his friends not been a good help either to determine his mind.
Then one time when he's in the cave, he really can't decide.."I wish to be white ..no no.. black is fine..But no..please change me to white...no..." And suddenly there's an earthquake and the cave is shaken..rocks falls and before he says his final decision..he gets out of the cave. His friends really shocked to see what happened. The horse is nor black or white. He's now has black and white stripes all over his body. And all is left is regret for being so undecisive.

[Jester]

hey thanks sub you read my mind, im actually now writing about folk stories that portray the zebra as either greedy or vain or soem other bad attribute so if anyone else has any that would be great, thanks again

the cave reminds me of the one that i heard when i was young about there being a cave where there was all this matierial that was used to make all the coats for the animals but ont eh way teh horse stopped to eat at every pasture and field so by teh time he got there all that was left were strips of black and so he sewed them to gether and when he put it on he was so fat that the inseems burst creating stripes.

[Jester]

how about this, when someone mentions zebra whats the first characteristic (like human characteristic, lovable, cuddly, greedy, vain, honorable) that you think of and then try to imagine why you thought of that, is it becuase of seeing pictures, reading turth about them or folk stories or some other element...