One boiling sunny day in the savanna the gazelle said to the other animals, “Here comes the bossy, overbearing, haughty lion.” The lion said “Make me a place to sleep and bring some food. Make it snappy!” Gazelle said “No” but the other animals begrudgingly made lion a place to sleep. Lion said “Cheetah get some delicious food. Make it snappy!” The cheetah bought back some zebra meat and said “Here is some delicious food so please don’t hurt me.”
The next day the Lion wanted loads more food but the cheetah said “No, get it yourself!” so the lion ran into the cheetah’s house and gobbled up his food then to the next and to the next and finally it was all gone.The father animals had worked hard to gather huge amounts of food for their families. The baby animals were crying and said “We don’t like that lion because he took our food. We hunt to earn the food and he doesn't hunt at all.”
Many days later when the lion had eaten all the food he was starving and tried to hunt for something to eat but he was unsuccessful so he sat on his throne and talked to himself. He was trying to come up with a plan.
He fell into a deep sleep and when he woke up he saw gazelle ‘steaming up’ and looking angry. “What's wrong? Are you too hot to catch food.” Lion joked.Then gazelle jumped and chased the disrespectful lion off his throne and out of the savannah into the wild.
Gazelle laid down the facts to Lion. “How come you're being so selfish and bossy? I’m sick of it. I just want you to have some respect for others”. Lion replied, “Well then, you can teach me how to respect and use manners to other amazing animals.” “Firstly, give compliments and say please and thank you and remember to smile. Also say, “That’s looks great on you” said gazelle. “OK, you've got it! Step two now. Some say to cheetah, “You run as fast as a leopard.Now you try.” “OK” said Lion. “Wow I like your neck because it can reach really high giraffe” said Lion. “Wow you’re a really good teacher” said Lion. “Thank you for your nice compliment” said gazelle.
“Gazelle, how do you catch food?” asked lion. “Well, first you get down low like as low as the grass then you silently sneak up. Later when you're ready you go for it- pounce. “Ok” said Lion. “So... first you get down low, then lower than low, silently sneak up and pounce” said Lion. “You got it” said gazelle. “Say if you're going to help animals, why don’t you ask the family first before you hunt?” said gazelle. “Ok I’ll do you first. So what would you like?” Lion asked. “Could I please have some monkey? said gazelle. “Ok, coming right up.”
A looong, gloomy day later an exhausted lion came back with a big soft baby monkey. “That was great” said gazelle.
The next dark day, snoozy lion and gazelle worked as a clever team to hunt food and fight prey and lion learned how to work as a brave, trustworthy team with everyone. So for a week they helped each other in difficult situations and became friends.When poachers tried to hunt them they discussed a magnificent plan to defeat the poachers.
One day in the sweaty, steamy heat of the day, Lion saw a poor animal that was suffering the heat so Lion carried the poor animal into the lake where the animal drank the special healing water that helped the weak.On the same day the Lion and the gazelle went back to the village as friends, not as enemies.
On that day the gazelle told stories about how the lion had changed his spirit and how he had helped the weak animal. The other animals listened with interest and when gazelle said, “You're now the king of the savanna because you help animals with their problems and care for animals,” everyone cheered and agreed with gazelle. “That’s what your father would have wanted from you.”
From that day on the lion was the wisest king of the savanna.
