Simba ran out into the dark morning and stood on top of Pride Rock's peak. He smiled then ran back to the caves and leapt over a lioness. He tripped over one the same age as himself. "Hey!" she grumbled. "Sorry!" he called back running to his sleeping parents. He shook Mufasa. "Dad? Daad. Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad--" Sarabi yawned and said over Simba's endless calls to his father said, "Your son is awake." Mufasa mumbles. "Before sunrise he's your son." "Dad? Daad! Come on." He tugged on Mufasa's ear. "Daa- woah!" Simba lost his grip on his father's ear and goes flying backwards into the lioness again. She jumps up and glares. "Sorry Nala!" he said and ran back to his dad. He butted into his father. "You PROMISED" Mufasa sighs. "Ok ok I'm up." Simba smiled. "Yeah!" Mufasa yawned. The three of them walk to the top of Pride Rock. Simba rubbed against his mother. Sarabi smiled and nudged her son to go on, staying behind. She smiled lovingly at her husband and son, then returned to the caves. Mufasa and Simba sat on top of Pride Rock, the sun displaying itself over the Pridelands. "Look Simba. Everything the light touches is our kingdom." Simba looked at it all. "Wow…" "A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day, Simba, the sun will set on my time here, and will rise with you as the new king." Simba looked at his father. "And this will all be mine?" he asked. "Everything" was the reply. Simba surveyed the land. "Everything…." He spotted a shadowy place at the border of the Pridelands. "What about that shadowy place?" "That's beyond our borders. You must never go there, Simba" "I thought a king could do whatever he wants" Simba said. "There's more to being king than getting your way all the time." Mufasa said as he headed back down the rocks. "There's more?" Simba asked awed. Mufasa laughed. "Simba.."
Mufasa and Simba walked through the Pridelands. "Everything you see exists together, in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance, and respect all the creatures-- from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope." Simba was examining an ant, and looked up. "But, Dad, don't we eat the antelope?" "Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass. And the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.' Zazu landed on a rock beside Simba. "Good morning Sire!" Mufasa smiled. "Good morning Zazu" "Checking in with the morning report." "Fire away" Mufasa said. Zazu smiled. "Well! The buzz from the bees is that the leopards are in a bit of a spot…" Zazu continued on, though no one was listening. Mufasa was watching Simba. He said distracted, "Oh really?" Simba was pouncing a grasshopper and missed. Zazu continued on. "... And the baboons are going ape over this. Of course, the giraffes are acting like they're above it all…" Mufasa looked at his son. "What are you doing son?" Simba looked in his paws disappointed. "Pouncing.." "Let an old pro show you how it's done.." Mufasa said. "...The tick birds are pecking on the elephants. I told the elephants to forget it, but they can't…" "Zazu, would you turn around?" Mufasa said. "Yes Sire" He turns around and continues. "The cheetahs are hard up, but I always say …" Mufasa whispered to Simba. "Stay low to the ground" "Cheetahs never prosper…" Zazu realizes something is going on. "What is going on?" "A pouncing lesson" Mufasa answers. "Oh very good. Pouncing." He said nodding. "POUNCING!? Oh no sire you can't be serious…" Mufasa motions to Zazu to turn back around. Zazu reluctantly turns around. "Oh this is so humiliating.." Mufasa whispers to Simba. "Try not to make a sound." "What are you telling him Mufasa?" He looks around, but Simba and Mufasa are gone. "Mufasa? Simba?" Simba pounces Zazu leaving him stunned on the ground. Simba grins. Mufasa laughs. "That's very good" A gopher appears from underground under Zazu. He pushes Zazu off the hole and salutes. "Sir. News from the underground" Mufasa puts his paw around Simba. "Now this time…-" Zazu interrupted. "Sire! Hyenas in the Pridelands!" Mufasa turned serious quickly. "Zazu take Simba home" Simba pouted. "Aw dad can't I come?" "No son." Mufasa runs off. Simba sighs. "I never get to go anywhere." "Oh, young master, one day you will be king; then you can chase those slobbering mangy stupid poachers from dawn until dusk." Zazu said as they walked home.
Mufasa and Simba walked through the Pridelands. "Everything you see exists together, in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance, and respect all the creatures-- from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope." Simba was examining an ant, and looked up. "But, Dad, don't we eat the antelope?" "Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass. And the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.' Zazu landed on a rock beside Simba. "Good morning Sire!" Mufasa smiled. "Good morning Zazu" "Checking in with the morning report." "Fire away" Mufasa said. Zazu smiled. "Well! The buzz from the bees is that the leopards are in a bit of a spot…" Zazu continued on, though no one was listening. Mufasa was watching Simba. He said distracted, "Oh really?" Simba was pouncing a grasshopper and missed. Zazu continued on. "... And the baboons are going ape over this. Of course, the giraffes are acting like they're above it all…" Mufasa looked at his son. "What are you doing son?" Simba looked in his paws disappointed. "Pouncing.." "Let an old pro show you how it's done.." Mufasa said. "...The tick birds are pecking on the elephants. I told the elephants to forget it, but they can't…" "Zazu, would you turn around?" Mufasa said. "Yes Sire" He turns around and continues. "The cheetahs are hard up, but I always say …" Mufasa whispered to Simba. "Stay low to the ground" "Cheetahs never prosper…" Zazu realizes something is going on. "What is going on?" "A pouncing lesson" Mufasa answers. "Oh very good. Pouncing." He said nodding. "POUNCING!? Oh no sire you can't be serious…" Mufasa motions to Zazu to turn back around. Zazu reluctantly turns around. "Oh this is so humiliating.." Mufasa whispers to Simba. "Try not to make a sound." "What are you telling him Mufasa?" He looks around, but Simba and Mufasa are gone. "Mufasa? Simba?" Simba pounces Zazu leaving him stunned on the ground. Simba grins. Mufasa laughs. "That's very good" A gopher appears from underground under Zazu. He pushes Zazu off the hole and salutes. "Sir. News from the underground" Mufasa puts his paw around Simba. "Now this time…-" Zazu interrupted. "Sire! Hyenas in the Pridelands!" Mufasa turned serious quickly. "Zazu take Simba home" Simba pouted. "Aw dad can't I come?" "No son." Mufasa runs off. Simba sighs. "I never get to go anywhere." "Oh, young master, one day you will be king; then you can chase those slobbering mangy stupid poachers from dawn until dusk." Zazu said as they walked home.