The antelope were the first to arrive at the waterhole. They had travelled a long distance and were already very thirsty, but before they quenched their thirst, they gazed down at the tranquil, life-giving water with a great sense of relief and gave thanks.

They had barely taken a sip when a pair of young hippos appeared at the water’s edge. The antelope watched in horror as the hippos waded straight in and began to roll and splash and make a mess. When the antelope turned once more to drink, they found the water muddy and brown.

“Look what you’ve done!” cried the antelope. “So selfish. And thoughtless. And disrespectful!” The hippos heard them tut-tutting and asked what was the matter. “This water is for drinking,” the antelope explained. “It’s precious and you’ve spoiled it for everyone else.”

The young hippos looked at each other. “We don’t understand. How have we spoiled the water?” they asked. “No need to understand,” said a giraffe, leaning down from on high. “You just need to show some respect and behave like the rest of us.”

“But we’re hippos,” the hippos replied. “We live in the water. This is where we belong.” “Well, you don’t live here,” the giraffe observed. “You’ve just arrived.” “Same for you,” noted the hippos. “Besides, you do know it’s possible to drink and bathe at the same time, right?”

“Are you going to come out of there or not?” the giraffe asked. “Are you going to come in?” the hippos countered. Neither side would budge. Meanwhile, the antelope, unable to wait any longer, had dipped their heads in the muddy water and were earnestly dealing with their thirst.

The giraffe lowered its neck toward the hippos. “Okay, you can’t stay,” it whispered. “Just don’t poo in the water.”

© Richard Parkin, 2023