How the Zebra's Wing Grew - A Bedtime Tale for Little Zebras
How the Zebra's Wing Grew
A Bedtime Tale for Little Zebras
Once upon a time, on a big sunny grassland in Africa, there lived lots and lots of zebras, whole herds of zebras!
They all had beautiful black-and-white stripes.
When people looked at them, they said, “All zebras look the same!”
But really, each zebra was special in its own way.
One zebra was extra special, but no one could see it from the outside.
This zebra had a big, kind heart that could hear things far, far away.
It could hear little children who didn’t feel good, children whose tummies or heads or bodies hurt a lot, sometimes every day.
These children felt tired and sad because the pain just wouldn’t go away.
These children tried to be brave.
They went to school, played, and smiled,
but inside they felt, “Ouch,” and “I’m tired,” and “Nobody understands.”
Grown-ups sometimes said, “But you look okay!” because they couldn’t see the hurt.
That made the children feel even more alone.
But the special zebra understood.
Every time a child felt that quiet ouch, the zebra’s heart went thump-thump in the same way.
It was as if an invisible thread connected the zebra’s heart to those children.
The other zebras were happy running and eating grass.
They didn’t hear the faraway hurts.
But the special zebra listened all the time.
One night, a bright star saw how kind the zebra was, it had been watching.
A snow owl named Selene whispered about the zebra up to the heavens.
Selene felt bad for the zebra and how its heart cried.
The star twinkled and said, “Zebra cares so much. Here is a gift!”
Soft, silvery wings, much like Selene’s own snowy ones, grew on the zebra’s back.
Wings as gentle as a hug.
Now the zebra could fly quietly through the sky at bedtime.
It visits children who hurt and feel alone, at home, on vacation, and even in hospitals.
It wraps them in its soft striped wings, takes away some of the ouch,
and whispers, “I understand. You are courageous. I am here.”
And when the zebra does visit, the child falls into sweet, safe sleep,
far away from feeling pain or fear.
If you ever feel that quiet hurt, close your eyes.
The Winged Zebra is listening with its big heart… and it’s already flying to you.
Now, if you ever catch a glimpse of the Winged Zebra,
you are supposed to give it a name, a special one that means something to you.
Goodnight, brave little one.
You are never alone.
Sweet Dreams.
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Author's/Artist's Note: As a disabled survivor using assistive technology, which changes day by day pending health and that day's needs- (#zebralife), I pour these chapters from my own experiences and the people I've met along the path of life. Assistive tech helps me myriad of ways present my message. If Lior's eyes reflect your shadows, reach out—resources like RAINN or Support for Men at 1in6.org are lifelines. What's next? Comments welcome, always.
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