CHAPTER TWO: LASTIG AND BETKEN
"There's one in every family, Sire. Two in mine." Zazu sighed. He thought of his pesky cousin Lastig and his wife Betken. Lastig wanted to be majordomo. It was a good thing that he was Mufasa's majordomo instead of his cousin. Lastig's advice, if followed by Mufasa, would send the Pridelands down a dark path.
A few minutes after leaving Mufasa, he came across his cousin Lastig. "Hello Wazoo." he said mockingly to his cousin. Zazu scowled. He hated when Lastig made fun of his name.
"it's Zazu!" the hornbill grumbled.
"Whatever." laughed Lastig.
"Why don't you make like the wind and go blow someplace else?" Zazu snapped at him.
"Why don't you be like a clam and keep your mouth shut?" Lastig laughed.
"Oh real cute." Zazu scowled.
"How did you get made majordomo?" came a voice. It was Betken, Lastig's wife.
"Because I'm knowledgeable and reliable." Zazu replied, glaring at the couple with great distaste.
"Says who?" laughed Lastig.
"Said Mufasa." Zazu retorted.
"His mistake." Betken said.
"I don't know why I waste my time arguing with you two. You're the blackbirds of the entire family!" Zazu snapped at them.
"Oh look, it's Mufasa!" Lastig cried. Zazu turned around and Lastig bopped him in the nose. 'You're so gullible!" he laughed.
"That's not funny!" Zazu snapped, rubbing his beak.
"I thought it was." Betken laughed.
Zazu fumed; he began to sing.
"I've worked hard to be where I am.
And all you do is lie, cheat, and scam."
"What can I say, I'm unique." Lastig sang.
"Oh shut your lying beak." Zazu sang.
"You just wish that you were me." Lastig sang.
"Oh what a bizarre day that would be!" Zazu sang in reply.
"Thanks to your bad advice, Mufasa is running the Pridelands into the ground.
But if I were majordomo, I could turn it all around.
"Oh, if only Mufasa would give that job to me."
"Well, as long as I have it, that'll be an impossibility."
"Just admit it Zazu, I'm your better!"
"The only thing that you should be is bound with a fetter!"
"I'd be better than you, guaranteed!"
"Oh you're so filled with greed!"
"If I advised the king, all would be grand."
"If you advised the king, it would be the ruin of the land!"
"If power would come my way."
"Oh I hope I never see that day!"
"The Pridelands would be in such good hands."
"I don't know how much more of this I'll be able to stand!"
"I should be given a chance for goodness sake!"
"Why can't I get lucky and have you be eaten by a snake?"
"Oh I'm a perfect bird. A one of a kind."
"No sleazier hornbill can you find."
"I'm better than you, there's no doubt."
"How long are you going to continue to sit here and pout?"
"I should have the job.
I can handle it can't you see?
It was clearly meant for me."
"That will never be!"
"It's clearly meant…"
"You'll never get….."
"It's clearly meant…"
"Oh you'd best forget….."
"It's clearly meant…"
""It's never meant…"
"for me!"
"to be!"
A few seconds after they had finished singing, a breeze rushed by them. "Here that Zazu?" Lastig asked. "That's the winds of change."
"If only it would blow you and Betken away from here!"
The ground at their feet began to shake. The trio looked down as a gopher's head popped out of the ground, coming out of the tunnel that he'd excavated. "The king wants to see you right away Zazu!"
"Well, I'm afraid I can't stay and chat. I am the king's majodomo after all, so, toodeloo!" He began to fly off.
"You haven't heard the last of us!" Betken called after him.
"If only I could be so lucky as to have that happen." Zazu sighed miserably.