Chapter One: A Leopard In Mizimu Grove
The night was still. A small river flowed along its normal path, near Mizimu Grove. This stillness however would not last, as a young leopard breached out of the river coughing up a large quantity of water. Shivering he dragged the rest of his scar ridden body out of the water and sat on the shoreline beneath a small pile of rocks. He was cold, wet, and bleeding slightly, he didn't think anything worse could happen to him.
"Hey! What are you doing down dere?" Called out a voice unfamiliar to the leopard. And while he was apprehensive, they didn't sound malicious or cruel. In fact they sounded friendly, welcoming even.
"Um." The leopard called out, unsure of where to look as he could find the owner of the voice, "Where is here exactly? I'm a little lost."
Suddenly a mandrill holding a stick with two gourds tied near the top suddenly dropped down from above the hound leopard causing him to jump back and scream, "Well you certainly are lost." The mandrill said, "considering you are leopard and dis is de Pridelands."
"O-oh. I didn't know I was in the Pridelands." The leopard said disappointedly, "I should get going then."
"Ah, and where are you going exactly?" The mandrill asked gently while leaning on his stick.
"I don't know." The leopard said as he stood up and began walking away.
"Well den, perhaps I can show you where to go?" The mandrill said as he walked alongside the leopard.
"Really?" The leopard said, a small bit of hope forming at the idea of someone helping him.
"Yes, but first dere is something I need from you!" The mandrill said, pressing his finger against the leopard's nose.
"Um what's that?" The leopard asked knowing he had nothing to give the mandrill.
"You're name, you crazy baboon!" The mandrill said, throwing his arms into the air, "I can't show you anyting until I know who you are."
"O-oh right, I forgot about introductions." The leopard said taking a step back and hanging his head out of embarrassment, "People would call me Kosa in my homeland, so I guess that's my name."
"Kosa. . . . ." The mandrill said trailing off, "That is a terrible name, I shall have to come up with a new one."
"Oh you don't have to do that." Kosa said worriedly, "It's really not a bad name and I don't mind."
Nope, nope nope." The mandrill said, shoving a finger up to Kosa's mouth, "You will be getting a new name. Now come, Rafiki you show you de way." The mandrill added as he began to run off, and so Kosa followed.
As the two ran through the night hundreds of thoughts rushed through the leopard's head. "Why is this mandrill helping me" "Where are we going?" "Why are we running so fast?" "How is he not tired?" were just a few. However he wouldn't be able to ponder these questions for long as the two approached a small grove of trees the likes of which the leopard had never seen before.
"Welcome to Mizimu Grove, young leopard." Rafiki said as he approached a specific tree.
"What kind of trees are these?" Kosa asked, tilting his head slightly.
"What kinda trees are these?" Rafiki said, sounding entirely shocked at the question, "Have you never seen a Baobab Tree before?"
"Well. No. There aren't any in the backlands." Kosa replied.
"Ha, dat's right you are from de backlands!" Rafiki said as he smacked his own head, "I forgot dat's where leopards are from."
"Um well anyways why did you bring me here?" Kosa asked.
"So you can have a place to sleep!" Rafiki responded as he began to climb one of the Baobabs, "Why else would I bring a leopard to a bunch of trees?"
"Oh, well, there's a bit of a problem with that." Kosa said, looking down at the ground embarrassed.
"Oh. And what's dat?" Rafiki replied, turning towards Kosa.
"I can't climb trees." The leopard responded, nearly shrinking into himself.
"A leopard who can't climb a tree?" Rafiki said as he hopped down from his tree, "Well you don't see dat everyday." Rafiki then began to stroke his beard pondering, "Well den I guess you'll have to learn. Aha that's it!"
"What's it?" Kosa asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"Your new name." Rafiki said as he turned to Kosa, "Jifunze!"
"Jifunze, why that?" Kosa said, perplexed at Rafiki's choice.
"Because you," Rafiki said, jabbing his finger into Jifunze's chest, "have a lot to learn."
"Jifunze, Jifunze, Jifunze. . . . ." Jifunze said to himself as he trailed off into thought, "I kinda like it." Jifunze said, fully accepting his new name.
"Den it is decided, now Jifunze, let's get you up dere." Rafiki said, pointing his stick towards the top of the tree.
"But I don't know how to climb," Jifunze said with a twinge of fear in his tone, "and I've certainly never even tried to climb a Baobab tree."
"Oh it's easy," Rafiki said, waving his hand up and down, "Just let out your claws, grab on, and climb up. Simple as dat."
"Are you sure?" Jifunze said still very much worried.
"Yes yes, now give it a try." Rafiki replied as he began to climb, "If I can do it without claws you can do it with!"
Jifunze then turned to the tree and muttered to himself, "Well alright then." Before he began his climbs he did exactly what Rafiki told him, let out his claws, grabbed on, and climbed. It honestly came as naturally as breathing to Jifunze, and was grisly as simple as Rafiki said.
As Jifunze reached the top of the tree he saw one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen in his life, a beautifully decorated tree filled with fruits, paintings, herbs, and so much more. He truly couldn't believe his eyes as the moonlight spilled through the small canopy of leaves above him. "Woooow." Jifunze said as he peered around the larger than expected space atop the Baobab tree.
"What dis old place?" Rafiki said, turning towards Jifunze, "It's really nuting. And certainly not clean." Rafiki added with a laugh.
"It's beautiful." Jifunze said as he gazed around himself, "Is this where you live?" Jifunze asked still not taking his eyes off the canopy.
Rafiki laughed, "Yes it is!" Rafiki answered as he climbed into a small cradle of branches "Now why don't you get some sleep, you have a very big day tomorrow."
"I do?" Jifunze asked, confused by what Rafiki meant.
"Yes yes, now go to sleep." Rafiki replied curling into his bed.
Jinfuze had found it best to just flop down where he stood as his body was exhausted, his brain however was racing with questions, "Why did Rafiki help me?" "What's going to happen tomorrow?" "How do I tell him about what's happened to me?", as Jifunze pondered these questions he slowly but surely started to fall asleep, until his mind went quiet and he finally drifted off into the void of sleep.