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Carnival at the Zoo
...about Zebastian and Bernhard

by Asbjorn Lonvig, fairy tale writer and illustrator.
  

His nickname is Prison-Horse.
He is a zebra.
He asked his friend Bernhard if he might have another nickname.
Even if it is nothing but a nickname he wants a new one.
The reason why he is called Prison-Horse is
that a little boy once could not remember the word Zebra.
He thought the black and white stripes looked like a prison suit, and called the zebra Prison-Horse.


A new nickname???
Bernhard thought carefully.


Prison-Horse's real name is Equus-Burchelli-Boehmi.
That's his Latin name.
All animals have a Latin name.
 Equus-Burchelli-Boehmi is too long and it is hard to remember.

 

Equus?
 Burchelli?
Boehmi?


No!
It doesn't work.

Do you know any names beginning with the letters
Zeb as in Zeb-ra, Bernhard asked?

Zebadiah
Zebastian

Zebedee

Sure, Zebastian it is.
Bernhard was quit sure.
Zebastian is a wonderful name, and it is very easy - very easy - to remember.
Bernhard was happy.


And now?

Let's have a Name Celebration!!
Let's dress up for a carnival!!
Bernhard cried enthusiastically.

Unfortunately the Zoo was closed.
They couldn't get any Carnival Clothes.


Bernhard knew that the Zoo-Keeper had a tool shed.
In this tool shed there were tools for anything.
Even things that a zoo-keeper never uses at all.
There were no Carnival Clothes, but there were

Paint Pots


and Brushes.



Bernhard laughed - he just had a great idea.
You know that Bernhard loves bananas.
You know that Bernhard loves climbing trees.
Did you know that he also loves to play tricks?

The great idea was to paint Carnival Clothes on all his friends in the Zoo.




He started with Zebastian and his girlfriend's father.
Then himself.
Bernhard has had lots of colours.
But never before turquoise!!
Zebastian's girlfriend's father is Zajus-Christianus-Dico-Locus-Equus-Burchelli-Boehmi.
Don't you think that Zebastian's and Zajus-Christianus-Dico-Locus-Equus-Burchelli-Boehmi's Carnival Costumes are great?

 


Then Bernhard painted Zebastian's girlfriend's mother,
and made her turquoise with green hair and a green nose.
Her name is Zels-Mari-Dico-Locus-Equus-Burchelli-Boehmi.
 Then Bernhard painted Zebastian's girlfriend, who was painted purple.
He gave her green hair and a green nose, too.
Her name is Zizl-Dico-Locus-Equus-Burchelli-Boehmi.

He even planned to paint small portraits of himself on the white stripes.
But it would of course take a while.
So he asked his friend Pig-Casso to help
paint the small portraits.
Pig-Casso loves to paint portraits.
Zebastian's girlfriend's mother and Zebastian's girlfriend were very patient
while Pig-Casso painted the 280 portraits.





Then Bernhard painted the Flamingo and her sisters
in nearly all the colours in the paint pots.




Then the Parrot and his family.
The Parrots were a little hungry - they wanted to have some bananas.




Bernhard insisted
that the bananas were painted, too.




And the 4 Penguin-Kids were very excited.
They had never worn Carnival Clothes before.
One was painted purple.
One was painted green.
One was painted brown, and
one was painted light grey.



Then Bernhard painted Tall-Charlie and his two sons in turquoise with brown spots.
Tall-Charlie's two sons look exactly like Tall-Charlie.
They were six feet tall when they were born.
They grow four feet each year.
Not-So-Tall-Charlie was painted purple and he got brown spots, too.


Then Bernhard painted the Lion.
He is called Mr. Lion.

 

Then the Tiger.
The tiger has stripes, but no two tigers in the world have the same stripes.
Exactly like the Zebra.




Sam's Father, Lucca and Sam himself were at the Zoo.
They had a picnic at the Zoo that evening...

And ABRACADABRA.

They were painted.
In the most adorable Carnival Clothes.
Don't you think Sam's shirt and shorts are cool?

 

After all the animals were painted
everybody’s shoes were painted.
After portrait painting, Pig-Casso's favourite subject to paint is shoes.
On the shoes Pig-Casso painted Zebastian - it was his Name Celebration -  and portraits of Bernhard.

          

After the animals and shoes were painted
Bernhard and Pig-Casso painted clocks on each side of the Zoo-Gateway.
Bernhard and Pig-Casso painted Zebastian and
portraits of Bernhard on the clocks too.

     

Whatever is happening?
The Zoo-Keeper and the Zoo-Veterinarian asked.
You all seem to be wearing Carnival Clothes?
Yes. Sure, Bernhard said.
We are celebrating Zebastian's new nick-name Zebastian.
It is a Carnival Celebration.
The Zoo was closed and we had no Carnival Clothes.
I found some paint and brushes in The Zoo-Keeper's tool shed.

And then......
Oh, oh, how clever! the Zoo-Keeper and the Zoo-Veterinarian said.


If you shut your eyes I'll count to three,
Bernhard said to the Zoo-Keeper and the Zoo-Veterinarian.


Exciting, the Zoo-Keeper said.
Interesting, the Zoo-Veterinarian said.

         
  
Very quickly, the Zoo-Keeper and the Zoo-Veterinarian were painted
by all the animals in the Zoo
and by Pig-Casso.
And Bernhard counted
One.
Two.
Three.

Open your eyes!
Bernhard said.
Oh, oh, how clever! The Zoo-Keeper and the Zoo-Veterinarian said.
Now we can join your Name Celebration.
Congratulations Zebastian!!!




And
Zebastian,

Zebastian's girlfriend's father Zajus-Christianus-Dico-Locus-Equus-Burchelli-Boehmi,
Zebastian's girlfriend's mother Zels-Mari-Dico-Locus-Equus-Burchelli-Boehmi,
 Zebastian's girlfriend Zizl-Dico-Locus-Equus-Burchelli-Boehmi,
Bernhard's friend Pig-Casso,
The 280 small portraits of Bernhard, that Pig-Casso painted on Zels-Mari's and Zizl's white stripes,
The Flamingo and her two sisters,
The Parrot and the five members of his family,
The six cool bananas,
The four Penguin-Kids,
Tall-Charlie, his two sons, and Not-So-Tall-Charlie,
The Lion Mr. Lion,
The Tiger,
Sam's Father, Lucca and Sam,
58 painted shoes,
The two Clocks on each side of the Zoo-Gateway,
The Zoo-Keeper and the Zoo-Veterinarian,
and
Bernhard had an excellent party.


 

They never forgot
Zebastian's name is Zebastian.




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ASBJORN LONVIG