Chapter Four: Breakfast With Acquaintances.
As the morning sun rose, embracing the sky with its warm red hues, Jifunze crawled his way out of his den, breathing in the morning air, and basking in the sun's gentle light. The young leopard then stretched his body, limbering up for his first official day as a Pridelander.
Deciding to follow the sun along its path as it rose, Jifunze turned west towards a thick patch of trees a ways off in the distance, where he knew he'd find a few grubs for breakfast.
And as Jifunze made his way across the Pridelands, he tried his best not to draw too much attention to himself, which was quite hard as he was a leopard. Most Pridelands that saw him mostly just stared and whispered to each other as he passed by, not a single one daring to talk to him.
Jifunze, however, was quite embarrassed by the attention he was getting, even though he knew it would be like this. He felt nervous and like the Pridelanders were saying horrible things about him, so much so that he decided to take a longer route to his destination, sticking mostly to the underbrush, and hiding from sight.
Once Jifunze got near enough to the forest he was moving towards, the young leopard ended up accidentally eavesdropping on what he assumed was the middle of an argument.
"No way Timone, this rock has to have more Grubs under it, I can feel it in my gut," a deep and somewhat gruff voice stated.
"Pumba, buddy, the only thing your gut feels is gassy. Now come over here and help me move this log so we can eat," a voice that Jifunze assumed was Timone replied.
Jifunze, intrigued by the two voices he heard, decided to make his way closer to them.
"No way this rock is it," Pumba argued back, "You should know by now that the best grubs live under rocks."
Jifunze continued to make his way towards the voices, noticing that they were much farther away than he initially thought.
Jifunze then heard Timone scoff, "Says who, the moles," Timone asked, sarcasm filling his tone, "The absolute best grubs live under rotting logs, because that's where you find the fattest ones."
Eventually Jifunze made his way to the other side of the forest, finding the two voices at the very edge. He also noticed that the voices belonged to boar and meerkat, which Jifunze found quite odd as boars were known for being quite, disagreeable.
"Um hello there," Jifunze said as he approached the duo.
Timone and Pumba turned to look at Jifunze, before terrified expressions spread across their faces and they began to scream in horror.
"Wait, wait please, I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you." Jifunze panicked, not knowing what to do to make them calm down.
Thankfully he didn't have to figure it out as Timone dropped to knees and clasped his hands together, "Please don't eat me, I-I'm nothing but skin and bone, and I taste worse than Pumbaa smells," Timone begged Jifunze, nearly crying.
"I-I'm not gonna eat you," Jifunze replied, still stressed out from the panic.
"You're not?" Timone looked up at Jifunze, eyes nearly bursting with tears.
"No, why would I," Jifunze replied, finally calming down.
"Oh what a relief," Pumbaa said, coming out from behind a rock, "I thought we were goners."
"Well I wasn't worried," Timone replied.
"Well, um. I'm sorry I scared you," Jifunze said somewhat embarrassed, "I really didn't mean to."
"Eh, Hakuna Matata," Timone replied, waving off Jifunze's apology.
"Hakuna Matata?" Jifunze tilted his head perplexed, "What's that mean?"
"It means no worries," Pumbaa replied, "It's our motto."
Jifunze tilted his head the other way, "I still don't get it."
"What's not to get," Timone replied walking back his log, "It means we don't have a care in the world, we go where we want, do what we please, and not worry about a thing."
"Heh, wish I could live like that," Jifunze muttered.
"What'd ya say," Timone said, turning back to Jifunze, "I didn't quite catch it."
"Um, I said, what's up with that," Jifunze replied, "As in that log."
"Oh, well Timone and I were arguing about whether that log would have better grubs, or my rock," Pumbaa explained, walking back towards his rock, "Hey maybe you could decide."
"Oh yeah sure ask the leopard about-" Timone replied cutting himself off halfway, "Hey I got an idea." Timone then jumped over to Jifunze, "What if he decides?"
"Oh, well, I-" Jifunze tried to reply but Timone cut him off.
"So kid, what do you think," Timone asked, "Rock or log?"
"Um, well, lemme, uh, check them first." Jifunze then walked up to Timone's log.
"Uh, what are you doing," Pumbaa inquired.
"Checking to see if there are grubs under the log," Jifunze replied, placing his ear against the log and hearing basically nothing.
"So are you gonna lift it up or," Timone asked while spinning his hand around slowly.
"I can hear if there are any grubs underneath things like logs and rocks by listening for scratching noises," Jifunze replied as he pulled his head away from the log, "Being able to hear good is like, the one talent I have."
"But why would you need to look for grubs," Pumbaa asked, "Aren't you a hunter?"
"Well, I am a hunter but I can't hunt," Jifunze replied.
"But why can't you hunt," Pumbaa asked.
"Oh who cares if the kid can't hunt," Timone said waving Pumbaa off again, "If the kid eats grubs then he eats grubs, now tell me, was I right? Is the log best for grub hunting?"
"Uh, no," Jifunze replied, a shocked expression spreading across Timones face, "In fact this log doesn't have any grubs under it at all."
"See? I told you rocks were better," Pumbaa gloated, smugness arising in his tone.
"Now just hold on a second," Timone replied, "The kid still hasn't checked your rock yet, and I doubt it'll be better than my log."
Jifunze then placed his head against Pumbaa's rock and found that there was yet another lack of sound, "Yeah, Timone's right, this rock is also bugless."
Timone then turned to give Pumbaa one of the smugest looks Jifunze had ever seen, "Told ya."
"Well there's gotta be something with grubs under it," Pumbaa replied, as his stomach rumbled, "I'm starving."
"Um well there are plenty of other logs and rocks in the forest, maybe we can check those," Jifunze suggested.
"Hey that's not a bad idea kid," Timone said as he turned and started making his way deeper into the forest, "Come on you two, we got grubs to catch." Timone then waved for Jifunze and Pumbaa to follow him.
So Jifunze joined Timone and Pumbaa on their search for breakfast, checking logs and rocks all across the grove, failing to find any grubs under them. Eventually Pumbaa turned to Jifunze and said, "Hey, we almost forgot about introductions."
"O-oh, well. I was gonna mention it but," Jifunze said looking away out of embarrassment, "I kinda already knew your names."
"Hang on kid, how'd you find that out, have you been spying on us," Timone questioned, squinting at Jifunze skeptically.
"What! No! I just, heard you arguing on the other side of the woods," Jifunze said.
"Wait, you could hear us from that far away," Pumbaa said, shocked.
"Um, yeah," Jifunze replied, "Like I said, hearing good is like my one ability."
"Well, we never caught your name kid," Timone interjected, "So what is it?"
"Oh, right, I'm Jifunze," Jifunze replied.
"Jifunze?" Timone scoffed, "What kinda kook would come up with that?"
"Um, Rafiki," Jifunze replied, "I didn't have a name before I came to the Pridelands, so Rafiki gave me one."
"Wait, you didn't have a name?" Pumbaa looked like he was going to tear up, "Oh that's the saddest thing I ever heard."
However, just before Pumbaa burst into tears, Jifunze heard an all too familiar sound, "Hold on," Jifunze said, turning his ears all around, "I hear something."
"What is it," Timone asked trying to help distract Pumbaa.
"I think." Jifunze tried to listen closer, "Yeah. Yeah!" Jifunze then started bouncing in place.
"What? What is it," Timone asked, looking in the same direction that Jifunze was.
"I think I hear grubs," Jifunze replied, "and a lot of them."
"Well what are we waiting around here for?" Timone then jumped onto Pumbaa's head, "Lead the way kid."
Jifunze then sprinted off in the direction of the strange noises, running deeper and deeper into the forest, until eventually the trio ended up at a massive log that had appeared to have fallen over onto an even bigger rock.
"This should be it," Jifunze said as he stopped in front of the log, "I don't even need to put my ear up to the log, I can hear the grubs already."
"Well then let's crack this baby open," Timone said as he hopped off of Pumbaa and walked up to the log, "If you would be so kind," Timone said, facing Pumbaa and gesturing to the log.
"It would be my pleasure," Pumbaa replied as he tried and failed to lift the log, "Wow that's heavy, I don't think I can lift it on my own."
"Maybe if we roll it," Jifunze suggested, walking up to the log, "That's what I would do in the backlands."
"Works for me," Pumbaa said, "On three. One. two."
"THREE," Jifunze and Pumbaa exclaimed as the two began to push the log with all their might, but the log only moved a little bit, enough for Timone to see the smorgasbord of bugs underneath.
"Huh, guess it's stuck on the rock," Pumbaa observed.
"Then I guess we'll just have to find a new log," Jifunze said as he began to walk away.
"Woah, woah, hold on now," Timone interjected, stopping Jifunze in his tracks, "You're really gonna give up that easily? This is the mother of all smorgasbords! We can't just walk away."
"Well what should we do then," Jifunze asked as he turned back towards the log.
"Ooh, ooh, what if I lift the log while Jifunze pushes it," Pumbaa suggested.
"I got it. What if Pumbaa lifts the log, while you push it," Timone exclaimed while pointing to Jifunze, "That way the log can go up and over the rock!"
"Oh that's a great idea Timone," Pumbaa exclaimed.
"Well, ok then," Jifunze said as he and Pumbaa got into position.
"Alright, on the count of three," Pumba said, digging his tusks under the log, "One. Two."
"THREE!" Pumbaa then lifted the log with all his might while Jifunze was putting all his strength into pushing the log, meanwhile Timon was shouting words of encouragement at the duo.
And to their surprise, the plan was actually working. By using the rock as a sort of brace, Pumbaa didn't actually have to lift the log all the far and soon enough the log rolled over the rock and allowed access to the massive haul underneath.
"Wow," Jifunze said, staring at all the grubs, "That's the most amount of grubs I've ever seen."
"Well what are we waiting for? Let's dig in," Timone exclaimed, diving into the pile of grubs.
And as Timone and Pumbaa gorged themselves on the smorgasbord in front of them, Jifunze just reached in and grabbed but a single grub. And once Jifunze had finished that he turned to walk away.
"Well, uh. Thanks for letting me share breakfast with you," Jifunze said, "But I think I'll be leaving now."
"You're really going so soon," Pumbaa asked as his eyes began to water, "But you've barely eaten anything."
"Yeah kid, a single grub makes not a meal," Timone added, "Stay a while, chat, have some fun."
"Oh, well," Jifunze turned back towards the duo, "If you insist, I guess a few more grubs wouldn't hurt."
And so the three spent the rest of the morning gorging them on grubs, telling jokes and stories, and all around having no worries. Jifunze had quite enjoyed the company of Timone and Pumbaa, and he hoped that the two new acquaintances of his would someday become good friends.