"Because I am going to have a cub. I'm working on making her right now," Jevala answered.
"How do you know it's a girl?" the cub asked.
"I know. She has to be a girl. We need one."
"Why?"
"Because that curse cub is not what the future king should marry."
"Huh?"
"You wouldn't understand. You're too young."
The cub Put on a fierce face. Then he said, "I ain't too young for nuthin'."
"Okay, listen. You see that cub over there?" Jevala poited her toe towards Laana, who was talking cheerfully to Rabi.
"Ya mean the one that's missin' a leg? I see 'er."
"That's the whole problem. She is missing a leg, and she'll give birth to more cubs with missing legs, and everything will be all wrong."
"But can't she just get 'er leg growed back on 'er?" questioned the cub.
"No. She never had a leg, and she never will."
"Oh." The cub looked over at Laana. "Whatever," he said, then trotted off to play with his friends.
Jevala sighed. Cubs these days. They don't care.
Jevala gave birth to a female lion cub afew weeks later. It was perfect. Not deformed at all. But it was dead.