and the cubs. 

“Oh thank goodness you’re alright, Niru,” Kiara said licking him. 

Vitani chuckled.  “I guess he just wanted to see my Siva and Suvo,” she said. 

“Of course,” Kiara realized. 

Vitani lifted Suvo out of her arms and placed him next to his sister. 

“Niru, this is Siva and Suvo,” Vitani introduced her cubs to him, motioning to each cub as she said their names. 

“Suvo, Siva, this is Niru,” Kiara introduced in return. 

The cubs immediately began sniffing each other.  Once they knew what each other smelled like, they began nuzzling and pawing at each other on the ground. 

The mothers watched the cubs play for a few minutes.  Then Kiara picked up Niru to feed him, and Vitani did the same for her cubs. 

“I guess we’ll have to start coming over to this side of the cave more often, huh, Niru? Now you can have play dates with Siva and Suvo,” she smiled happily down at her son. 

Niru stopped drinking for a minute to say, “Siba, Subo!” and then giggled and burped. 

 

 

         Chapter 3: A walk to the Sunrise

 

         After awhile, Niru grew from an infant into a playful, brave young cub.  Vitani’s two cubs, Siva and Suvo, had also grown.  Niru had played with them ever since they were infants, and they were all best friends.   One early morning, the three of them came racing out of the cave.  They pounced on each other in a game of “cub pile” and growled playfully.  Niru managed to squeeze out from the pile to shake off, and stand up. 

“Ok guys, ready to go climb to the top of Pride Rock to watch the sunrise?” he asked in an excited whisper.  

“Yeah!” Siva and Suvo exclaimed and jumped up.

 Niru shushed them, not wanting to wake up the rest of the pride, especially Kiara, Kovu, and Vitani. 

“Let’s follow the leader.  Niru, lead the way!” Siva smiled happily.

 “Wait, we didn’t all decide who should be the leader,” Suvo objected. 

“Well, I thought since Niru is the future king, well he should be first to climb up to the top,” Siva explained. 

“Guys, we’re all going up there together, so it doesn’t matter who goes up first.  The ledges aren’t wide enough for all three of us to walk up side by side, and you wouldn’t want to fall from up there,” Niru said pointing to the ledges. 

“Can we just forget who goes first and get up there before our parents wake-up?” Siva whispered.

 “Right, ok.   C’mon let’s go guys!” Suvo whispered nudging Niru and his sister.  Niru scampered to the first ledge, with Suvo and Siva close behind.  He ascended up the first step, and then pointed to a smooth pathway leading up to the top.  They trotted all the way up, digging their little claws in to the hard, dry soil until they reached the final step of the pathway.  The cubs leapt forward one by one onto the harder, darker patch of rock that was the pinnacle of Pride Rock.   They plopped down to rest for a few minutes. 

“We made it!” Siva exclaimed happily, but tired. 

“Wow, this is amazing!  Niru, you were right about the view—look!” Suvo pointed to the sunrise. 

The trio sat together and watched as the warm, transparent sunrays streaked across the savanna and shone on everything they could see, including themselves. 

“Wow, look there’s the water hole!  It looks so different from way up here!  This is beautiful!” Siva exclaimed.

 “I know isn’t it?” Niru nodded to her and then turned back to his future kingdom wide-eyed. 

“Hey look, there’s that neat looking tree where those yummy fruits grow on!” Suvo pointed to Rafiki’s acacia tree ahead of them.  “ Want to go check it out later?”

“Yeah, let’s explore it after breakfast,” Siva suggested. 

“Good idea.  I need to get to know about every place in the Pridelands if I’m gonna rule them someday,” Niru explained.  

“Good point, Niru,” Suvo agreed.  

The trio turned around and slowly started back down the path, seizing cursory glances at the sunrise and everything it had touched by now.

 

Chapter 4: Inside Rafiki’s Tree

 

“I’m starving, how about you, Suvo?” Niru asked. 

“Yeah, that walk really wiped me out,” Suvo sighed exhausted. 

“I wish we had some of those fruits from that one tree now,” Siva panted. 

 “Hey let’s go ask if we can get some,” Niru suggested. 

He bounded toward the cave.

 “Get some what?” a voice from the mouth of the cave asked.  

Niru gasped at hearing the voice and skidded right into Kiara’s leg. 

“OOP!” he grunted.  “Morning mom!” Niru smiled, embarrassed that his mom had overheard their secret conversation. 

“Queen Kiara, may we go get some fruit for breakfast from those trees over there?” Siva asked padding next to Niru and pointing to the distant grove. 

“Yes, can we go, please?” Suvo joined his sister and Niru. 

Kiara smiled, letting them have the right amount of freedom.  “It’s fine with me, as long as your mother says you two can go,” she said nodding at Suvo and Siva. 

Just then Vitani padded out of the cave.  “There you two are, I was wondering where you were.”  She padded over to where Kiara and the cubs were standing.

 “Mom, can we go get some fruit from the trees over there for breakfast, please?” Suvo asked.

 “Well—” she began to reply but was suddenly interrupted. 

“Queen Kiara said we could,” Siva added excitedly. 

“If it’s all right with you, Vitani.  I’m sure they’ll be ok by Rafiki’s tree,” Kiara assured her friend.   

“Rafiki’s tree?” Niru’s eyes brightened curiously. 

“What’s that?” Siva asked. 

“You mean what’s that?” Suvo corrected her. 

“Well, you’ll have to find out for yourselves,” Kiara smiled and winked at her. 

“So can we go, mom, please?” Suvo begged.

 Vitani smiled “Alright, just--

“Yeah!” Suvo and Siva exclaimed, jumping up and down. 

Niru started in the direction of the tall grass.  “Come on guys let’s go!” Niru said and then took off sprinting through the grass.   Siva and Suvo followed, pouncing and jumping over each other once they were in the grass until they caught up with Niru. 

“Come on, the tree is right over there.  I’ll race you guys to it!” Niru challenged. 

“All right!” Siva yelled happily. 

“You’re on!” Suvo said stepping up next to him. 

“I’ll count…ready…Set…GO!” yelled Niru.   They all leapt forward and bounded fiercely towards the tree, their claws resisting against the ground each time they landed.  All coveting to touch the tree first, they bounded headfirst into it instead of extending a paw to touch it or grab onto the tree.  First Suvo, then Niru and Siva all very closely tied.  The three of them grunted, got up and shook off to make sure they were ok. 

“Ouch, we should’ve stopped before we got to the tree,” Suvo stated dumbstruck. 

“Yeah really, I feel stupid for a future king,” Niru said, disappointed at his clumsy move.  

“Aww, Niru you’re not stupid.   We were all just too excited to win and forgot to stop, hehe,” Siva comforted.  

“Yeah, I guess we were too excited,” Suvo admitted, nudging his friend in the shoulder. 

Niru smiled at both of them.  “Thanks guys.”

Suvo and Siva smiled back and replied in unison “No problem.”  “That’s what friends are for.”

“Well anyway, let’s get the fruits!” Niru sprang to his paws, padded over to the tree, and started to climb it.

“Yeah all right!” Suvo followed.  

“I’m starved!” Siva climbed up after them. 

Once they were all inside the tree, they stopped abruptly, and began gazing around at the gourds, fruit, and paintings on the branches. 

“Whoa!” Niru said amazed.  The trio began walking around the tree and looking at everything. 

“Look at all this neat stuff!” Siva observed. 

“Wow, what a cool place to live,” said Suvo imagining them having their own secret tree like this.  Niru walked over to the center of the old, aged tree that held Rafiki’s paintings of the royal family.  He quickly spotted the paintings of his grandparents, his mom and dad, and below it he saw his painting.  Off to each side of his painting was a cub.  He gasped quietly.

“Wow… Siva, Suvo! Come over here and look!” he exclaimed.  They quickly padded

Previous Page

1 2 3 4

Next page