I learned how to swim at a young age. Better to learn while you’re young so you can lessen your fear of water as you get older. Being comfortable in deep water and learning how to swim makes life much easier in the long run. Rapid water can be scary! A lot of things can go wrong, and if you ever find yourself stuck in a river or even need to save someone else who’s managed to find themselves in such a predicament, knowing some basic swimming skills comes in handy.
But, before you grow gills and fins and become one with the water, some hard work has to come in first. Learning how to not fear water is big. Getting the instruction and direction to navigate through is something that needs to be taught. It’s not learned. You just have to jump in and face your fear and learn the waters. Literally.
You know the saying, sink or swim? Well, this little zebra got a taste of that, entirely. He is much smaller than the rest of his herd, and when they were approaching the water, everyone picked up speed and he got left behind. Trying to cross a river is no easy task. You have to consider the direction of the current, how deep the water is, and how far you have to go. A daunting task for many, especially a baby foal.
As the baby zebra enters into the water, he starts to get swept away from where he’s trying to go. He wants to follow his family but the current is too strong and he ends up off course. Like a fairy tale godmother or a guardian angel, there’s an observant hippopotamus nearby who’s watching what’s going down. He sees the little zebra start to get washed away, and swoops in to help get him back on track.
The friendly hippo uses his body to break the slight wake and guide the zebra towards safety, a pile of rocks where the dazed and confused baby can escape the water, dry off, and gather his bearings. The hippo stays with him as he catches his breath before carrying on to meet his family. It’s an unlikely companionship, but such an act of kindness that saved his life, and helped the disoriented foal get to his destination. The hippo is a hero!
Click below to see this kind gesture go a long way.
