Babtoo and the Legend of the Spotted Zebra
by
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A long, long, time ago, in the outer fringes of the African grasslands, lived a small tribe of tall, nut-brown people called the Watinkees. The Watinkees were a proud and peaceful nomadic tribe, following the herds of zebra, giraffe, wildebeest and gazelle as they migrated across the plains. Living on the grasslands was often harsh and dangerous for the Watinkees. Predators like lions, spotted panthers and hyenas, which followed the herds, often stalked the tribe and preyed on any unsuspecting tribesmen. In spring, sudden violent storms produced swift waters that often raced through the camp, washing out their temporarily erected tents causing chaos among the tribe. In the summer months, the sun would be so hot that waves of heat would sweep the land, drying up and shrinking the life-giving watering holes leaving huge cavernous cracks in the thirsty earth. The life of one such member of a Watinkee tribe probably would never have changed had it not been for one such sudden and particularly violent storm arriving at the coast of Africa near one of the tribe's hunting camps.
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About the Book
The story revolves around a young native boy named Babtoo, who as a child suffered a devastating injury. The wound never properly heals and becomes a major disability. This is an issue as he comes of age in the Watinkee Tribe. He stumbles upon a horse and together they overcome obstacles and challenges to save his tribe from certain demise. He comes to realize the disability has not made him any less of a warrior than even the bravest member of his tribe. Through his honesty, loyalty and courage, the tribe hails him a hero for his great deeds. The Watinkee people also come to realize an important lesson: everybody has strengths, often unseen.
About the Author
Jeff was born in the then booming military town of Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1959. From there, he moved to Pennsylvania, where his father tried his hand at dairy farming. After a few years, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio where he spent a lot of time delving into fiction and fantasy stories. Even as a young man, Jeff was an avid reader Many times on beautiful summer days, he would be found reading books of exotic adventures and fantastic places. Each description would propel him to new heights in imagination. In the fantastic worlds he visited, often times the hero was also a villian or the coward turned hero. Worlds where magic was alive and anything was possible inspired him to create his own world of wonder.