Chronicles of the Pride Lands Part 31

"Don't leave me, m.u.f.fy! Stay here, my love. Stay."

"I can't stay long."

Sarabi's eyes began to well up with tears. "How long then? A day? An hour?" She spoke in a whispera""Another minute?"

"Long enough to take you with me."

She touched him with her tongue. He felt warm and alive, not like a ghostly spirit. "Will it hurt?"

"Turn around, Sarabi. Tell me what you see."

She looked over her shoulder and there on the ground was a sleeping lioness. Only she was not asleep.

"We are already together, Sa.s.sie."

For many moments, all they could do was share their joy, playing like cubs, nuzzling and planting warm lion kisses. Then Mufasa called in a lioness, one whose face was strange and yet familiar. "Shanni, this is your mother."

"Shanni?" Sarabi looked at her closely. "Such a lioness, now? And so beautiful."

"Like her mother, " Mufasa said with a smile. And yet in the ocean depth of their joy, one small thing appeared to trouble Mufasaa"something evident now that Ka could face another Ka and thought became reality.

"What's wrong? You are worried, my husband?"

"Another old friend waits for you. Someone who's afraid to say h.e.l.lo."

Sheepishly, into the entrance of the cave strode a lion of lesser build but great beauty. The depth of his love and humility gave back to his face the lost innocence of his cubhood and washed away the hardness of his former life. "m.u.f.fy, have you told her about me?"

Sarabi stared at Taka. "It's you."

Taka's ears drooped and his tail hung limply. "What was I thinking coming here." He started back out of the cave.

"Wait."

Sarabi went to Taka and looked into his eyes. "Look at me."

Taka looked away and shuddered. "Do not pity me. Even in death I cannot bear it."

Sarabi took her paw and turned Taka to face her. "Look at me."

He opened his eyes and looked into hers. "I see the same old Taka that used to pull my tail when I wasn't looking." She smiled. "You have found peace. I often prayed that you would." She nuzzled him and kissed his sad face.

Taka felt warm tears run down his cheeks. "Look m.u.f.fy, when she cries she is so beautiful. Isn't she beautiful, m.u.f.fy?"

Mufasa smiled. "Sarabi, you are beautiful. Come on, my friends. Let's show her around."

Aiheu is wonderful, He knows the pain you bear,

And He will grant a share of comfort in the night;

The ones you hold most dear, His hand will hold most near,

Until you see them clear in His eternal light.

THE END: THE CHRONICLES OF THE PRIDE LANDS.

APPENDIXES:.

APPENDIX I: THE LEONINE STORY OF BEGINNINGS.

A Modern English Translation.

From the start there was Aiheu the Beautiful, the first of the living and the cause of all life. Aiheu had many spirit children, and he shared his love and knowledge with them. It was a happy time, but still unfulfilling for the lives of spirit children were of thought alone. And Aiheu sensed that his children were longing for something more.

So Aiheu went to the world of Ma'at (soil) which at that time was completely dark and sterile. He put two lights in the heavens, the sun and moon. And the brightness of the sun caused the water to form clouds, and wherever the clouds rained on the dry earth, green plants grew. And so in time the world of Ma'at was changed from ugliness into beauty.

And Aiheu summoned his spirit children to show them his work. The beauty of the land was the first thing they had ever seen, and they were very pleased. For a time, they explored the world, some preferring the skies, others the ground, others the trees, and others the waters. And yet they were still unfulfilled, for the sun did not warm them, the breeze did not cool them nor the waters wash them, and they could not feel the gra.s.s beneath their feet. And they asked Aiheu, "What does this land have to do with us? We are strangers here." So Aiheu moistened some soil with water, and with his hands shaped the first bodies. Some were fish, others birds, and others the animals that walked on land and climbed trees, each according to the domains they were created for. When he breathed into the bodies, they took on life and became dwelling places for spirit children. Because they were finally part of the world, they could feel the warm sun, the cool breeze, the waters and the gra.s.s. They had these and many other pleasures, but they were given a warning. The price of pleasure is often pain. And it was not long until they had all felt pain, yet they a.s.sured Aiheu that pleasure was worth the price. This was the first agreement, that pleasure is worth pain.

Those bodies were not permanent. Earth, water and air may only rest apart. When they are mixed, they become restless and strive to separate. That is why death and decay are part of the world, for the elements will eventually prevail. Aiheu knew this, so he took steps to prevent the world from becoming sterile. He went to the Lake of Mara and changed its waters into the first milk. And all animals were brought together to drink from it.

Milk fertilizes animals the way rain fertilizes plants, for it makes soil, water and air content to mix for a time. And all those who drank milk obtained the gift to produce milk in their bodies. The milk of the male could awaken new life in his mate, and the milk of the female could sustain it after birth. For no living thing except Aiheu can create life from the ground by breathing into it. This was the second agreement, that life should always continue.

Now the earth was very large, but it was not without limits. So Aiheu offered his children two paths. Either they could choose who may carry on the line, or they could all be treated equally and Aiheu would find another way to control them. And they all said, "Treat us equally, " for no one wanted to be the one to live alone. So Aiheu chose some animals to be hunters and others to be hunted that they may keep the earth in balance. Thus arose all the peoples and their ways that carry on to this day. This was the third agreement, that a full life involves struggle.

And when Aiheu had set this into motion, he showed them that it was not random, but part of his plan from the beginning. The cycles of birth, growth, death, and decay were like four legsa"they had to work together to travel anywhere. Yet from his steadfast love, he would have his children accept the three agreements of their own free will.

Some beings did not choose to accept these agreements. These spirit children were the first Nisei, which are the good spirits which oversee the balances of creation. They are often called the minor G.o.ds, though they are truly brothers to the animals. The major G.o.ds arose from the lake of milk, and they were all kindly like Aiheu, until Koko the gorilla threw mud into the lake and spoiled the milk. Thus rose the polluted Makei, the evil spirits. But Koko confessed what he did to Aiheu, and he was pardoned. Aiheu gave him authority over the mud to purge the lake, and he became the keeper of the lake until it was finally drained at the end of the first era. Because he drank from the milk each day, he only began to age when the lake was no more, and his days were two hundred and seventy years.

I would not have you ignorant concerning death, for Aiheu has provided for his children. When an animal dies whose life is acceptable to G.o.d, it becomes one of the second Nisei. They oversee the welfare of those they left behind. The greatest of the second Nisei are the Great Kings of the Past and those whom Aiheu has blessed for good service. Koko became one of the second Nisei. And then there are animals whose deeds are constantly evil, and they join the Makei. These are doomed to walk the earth without bodies until they find the image of Aiheu within themselves and seek redemption through service. They are called the Makei for their suffering makes Aiheu weep.

The first children of Aiheu were close to their G.o.d and to each other, for their spirits had roamed free. But their children who were born to bodies of soil were not able to hear the words of the Lord. To keep the peoples from losing touch with him entirely, Aiheu anointed some children with holy chrisum that from birth they hear him when he speaks. And these he called shamans. They were strictly charged to bring the word of G.o.d to his peoples with honesty and unselfishness. A lying shaman is worse than the Makei, and Aiheu will not weep for them nor will he repent of his anger.

As long as this story is pa.s.sed from old to young, never added to or subtracted from, the blessings of Aiheu will be upon those who hear it.

APPENDIX II: THE STORY OF N'GA AND SUFA

When Ramalah was ruler of a great kingdom, his wife Chakula conceived twin sons. They were the brothers N'ga and Sufa of whom many stories are told. So bold were N'ga and Sufa that even within their mother's body they would struggle, and she would eat herbs to dull the discomfort.

When time came for her to give birth, she called them N'ga and Sufa after the sun and moon, for they would chase each other as the sun chases the moon. Though they often fought each other, their hearts were good and they walked with Aiheu. Queen Chakula consulted the shamans about them, and was very happy and sad at once. For they all agreed N'ga and Sufa would live happy yet short lives. From that moment she was afraid to leave them with anyone but her sister Alba for she worried about them constantly.

Once when the Queen was aprowl, Alba took the cubs to her cave to sleep. And that night the earth shook, and the entrance of the cave was sealed. When Chakula returned, she found the rubble and tried to dig them out. But all her efforts and all her mother's love was not enough to clear the entrance. So the other lionesses took turns digging, and the work went on as the moon rose and the sun rose. One, two, three days, then four days pa.s.sed and still the cubs were beyond reach. All hope had gone, and Chakula was left alone to dig, but she was faithful and kept working into the fifth day that she might see their bodies one last time. She was sure this was the fulfillment of the prophesy.

On the fifth day, she opened a pa.s.sage to the inside of the cave. And N'ga and Sufa emerged weak and unhurt. Chakula wept with joy, and gave thanks to Aiheu. But when she looked inside, her sister Alba lay dead. Alba, who was not in her milk, had opened the deep veins of her arm and nursed the cubs with her own blood so they might survive.

Alba's body was dragged to the fields, but along the way where each drop of blood fell there grew a beautiful red flower which to this day is called Alba in her memory. There is a medicine made from this plant called "the blood of mercy, " and it has great power to heal and instill gentleness.

N'ga and Sufa grew in power and size until one day they were ready to take a mate. It was at this time a white lioness named Minshasa came into their kingdom, and N'ga and Sufa were both smitten with her great beauty and the powers she possessed. Because they were both strong and determined, they fought for five days and nights without sleep or food. On the fifth day, they both collapsed in a deep sleep, and while they were unaware, Minshasa left to find Mano whom she eventually married and fathered a great people. And when N'ga and Sufa awoke, they felt sore and foolish and swore to end their days of fighting forever.

APPENDIX III: THE HYENA CREATION STORY.

Roh'kash (Great Mother) was the first of the living. In her was the essence of life, and through her, life entered the world. First she gave birth to the sun. The sun was the child of her strength, and she was very bright and brave. It used up most of her virility to do this, but she tried again, and gave birth to the moon. The moon was the same size, but very pale and shy. Thus she used up all of her powers of fertility. She was tired and came to earth, which was desolate. There she slept on a rock in the moonlight. This resulted, quite unexpected to her, in the first union, which was with the Roh'khim (Great Father). Because this union was between the spiritual and the physical, she conceived and brought forth offspring which had both spiritual and physical components. These children of Roh'kash were the ancestors of the different tribes that still walk the earth today.

NOTES:.

LEGAL NOTE: This original copyrighted work by John Burkitt and David Morris is based on Walt Disney's feature film "The Lion King." Elements taken directly from The Lion King are the property of The Walt Disney Company. "Chronicles of the Pride Lands" is distributed free of charge excepting reasonable distribution costs. Quoting pa.s.sages from our work, writing original pieces based partly (or entirely) on our work, or using characters we created is fine as long as you secure prior approval. That begins by sending either of us a copy of the work. Our e-mail addresses are: John H. Burkitt: [email protected]

David A. Morris: [email protected]

Your comments on our work, pro and con, are always welcome. We have been asked about our legal note. This is our official response: "The copyright is maintained solely to prevent patently vulgar or lewd misuse of our characters. Most any work, including parodies would be fine as long as it meets certain reasonably broad standards of decency. We reserve the right as copyright holders to define and change those standards. None of these standards is meant to force the applicant to be consistant with the literary style or plot of the original work."

The characters Akase, Isha, and Malaika are the property of Brian Tiemann. Used with permission.

Finally, this story is a fictional work. All resemblance to any characters living or dead is purely coincidental. Well actually not. With love and respect, we honor those who taught us how to laugh and cry. Without acting as clear models for any one character, many great souls, some non-human, pressed their mark indellibly on the fabric of our lives.

REVISION NOTE: It is pointless to compare the old and new Chronicles for consistency. Consistency WITHIN this version was more important that consistency with the older materials. Many sharp-eyed readers pointed out a number of flaws in the old Chronicles of the Pride Lands, and those concerns have been addressed here. We both request that all earlier versions of Chronicles of the Pride Lands be replaced by this later revision.