A Little Camel Asks Mummy Camel, "Mummy, Why Have ...

A little camel asks mummy camel, “Mummy, why have I got such big flat feet?” She replies, “Well darling, in the desert you need big flat feet because the sand is soft and they help us to keep stable.”

The little camel goes away but then comes back. “Mummy, why have I got such big eyelashes?”

“Well darling, in the desert when there is a lot of wind the sand gets thrown about in the air. We need big eyelashes to stop the sand getting in our eyes.”

The little camel goes away but later returns again.

“Mummy, why have I got a hump back?”

“Darling, out in the desert we are sometimes without water for a long time; we have got the hump because it is designed to store a lot of water and it helps us to survive in the desert.” The young camel goes away.

He comes back one final time. “Mummy, I know why we have got big feet and long eyelashes and a hump; but can you tell me why we live in this zoo?”

(From ‘A bucket of surprises’ by J John & Mark Stibbe)