Song: Zuka Zama Zom Zom Zu
From: Lion Guard
Start song at (1)
As the rainbow spirits came back down to earth they were joined by a Spider, a leopard, a hornet, a python, and a black panther. The rainbow spirits whirl around them and they happy pranced and played, soon joined by young and old audience members.
Then the spider shot a web of silk and got high into the trees. "Come around everyone and I will tell you a story!"
"Yes, yes please Anansi!" Everyone shouted.
"Anansi! As in the spider of stories, the trickster of African legend?" Asked tooth.
"Who else!" Jack asked with a laugh.
The spider told story after story:
The one where he was sent by the sky father to outwit the leopard Osebo, the hornet Mmoboro, and the python Onioi. By teaching them each a lesson Anansi gained the ability to tell stories and continue to teach through them.
He told of the panther queen and how she was a bully to every animal in the jungle so Anansi spun a spell and turned her into a human. The only way to become a panther again would be for her to build a city in his honor. In doing this she learned to love 'lesser' beings, the human chef and her children she had with him, to the point that when she was finally a panther again she missed her family and begged to have them become panthers too. The spider however knew that the family would not be happy as panthers, any more then the queen was happy as a human, and told her that only if she could convince one-and only one- to come with her would he do this. The queen chose her oldest son and tried to convince him but he became in-raged at the idea and hunted her. When he had cornered her though all he could see in her eyes was the love of his mother and in the end love won and the son became a panther and the two protected the city and their family from then on.
He also told of the wisdom flower and how the gift gave people such insight that they were able to overcome many of their difficulties, not the least of these was slavery, like they had wings to fly above them.
"Anansi?" A little girl asked. "I love your stories but why would you and your friends put yourselves in danger all the time?"
The spider, leopard, hornet, python, and panther all laughed. (1) "It may not be Hakuna Matata but it's what we live for. It's Zuka Zama!" Osebo told her.
"Zuka Zama?" She wondered.
Anansi whispered: "Don't ask!"
But it was to late. "What's Zuka Zama?"
The leopard got to his feet. "What's Zuka Zama? What's Zuka Zama!?" He lept up into the tree alongside Anansi. "I'll tell you all about Zuka Zama!"
The spider grown and slowly lowered himself to the ground. "You had to ask."
The other African legends started swinging to the beat of Zomba drums that played from where Little D sat. "Zuka Zama Zom Zom Zu, Zuka Zoma Zom Zom Zu."
Osebo sang loud and boisterous. "Life's exiting life is fun! A big adventure for everyone. Life's a party and it's filled with thrills!" He jumped off the tree and aimed to land on the panther Queen who keenly stepped out of his trajectory. But even as he landed hard the leopard just got back to his feet. "Don't worry about the scrapes and spills." The two big cats started chasing each other and doing daring acts for all to see.
"Now you know our motto for life!" The hornet sang. "Enjoy the chaos ignore the strife. When life throws you a crazy curve, go Zuka Zama don't lose your nerve." Mmoboro Buzzed around in crazy patterns. "Pop up, diving, Zom Zom Zu, high above the trees like a busy, busy bee!"
The pithon lead a procession of people around all swaying to the music. "SSSuka SSSoma SSSom SSSom SSSu, SSuka SSoma SSom SSom SSu, Suk, Soma Som Som Su!"
"Zuka Zama Zom Zom Zu!" everyone shouted!
All that is except Anansi. "Ah, zuka paluka."
The stories that Anansi tells in this chapter are abbreviated and slightly altered from stories I learned from episodes of Static Shock, Gargoyles, and wishbone.