From: Snowcat To: TLK-L Subject: Re: Priderock Date: Sunday, March 15, 1998 3:29 PM From: Ryan McGinnis > I don't remember Pride Rock being that tall! ;) (Let's see Rafiki >scale _that_!) Yes - but don't forget that Pride Rock has been known to vary its dimensions, and its alignment (no - I don't mean that it suddenly becomes Chaotic Evil every few turns...). I've often wondered how Rafiki managed to scale the sheer face of the rock. We never actually got to see that scene... in fact, there are a few scenes that we never got to see. All the creatures of the Pride Lands gathered for the presentation of Simba. From the greatest elephant to the smallest mouse, all were present - though the presentation organizers had taken great pains this time around to ensure that the elephants and mice were well seperated this time around. A hush fell over the assembled crowd, and like a living sea, they reverently parted allowing the aged mandrill shaman to approach Pride Rock. He shuffled his way through slowly, leaning heavily on his walking staff as he passed. He reached the base of the rock and looked with despair up its sheer face. There was no doubt that he had his work cut out for him. With a sigh, he reached up and grabbed a rock outcropping. He paused. There was a string-like piece of root tied around one of his fingers. Presumably he had tied it there last night, but for the life of him he couldn't remember why. Rafiki's head throbbed, and for not the first time that day he mutterd aloud, "Drat Chang'aa and dat fermented gourd juice of his!" Some day - perhaps if he lived to 100 - the shaman would learn not to visit with fellow shaman before an important engagement, and especially when those shaman were such party-humans as Chang'aa could be. Rafiki pulled himself up labouriously with his strong hands, and felt around with his prehensile toes for a proper grip. For many long moments the gathered masses watched the shaman's slow ascent. Moments turned to minutes, with the silence broken only by the shuffle of feet from animals growing restless, the rhythmic "tap tap tap" of Rafiki driving pitons into the rock face, and the call of industrious meerkat vendors hawking their wares amongst the crowd. "Grubs! Grubs! Get yer grubs here! Ya can't watch the presentation without your grubs! Ew - I don't have change for a zebra haunch. You got anything smaller...?" Mufasa, growing a little concerned, stood from his place at Sarabi's side, and walked forward to the end of the promontory. "Is everything okay down there?" he called, leaning as far over the edge as he could. "Yes, yes," said called Rafiki from somewhere unseen below, "but dat gravel you are dislodging is bouncing off my head you know. Hm, ol' Rafiki just had a thought..." "Yes?" called Mufasa. "I could have gone around and took de path dis time," said the shaman. There was a pause, and the sound of a mandrill hand slapping a mandrill face. "Ah! De string! Well, next presentation." Zazu, who had been watching the gathered mass of creatures growing increasingly restless, hopped nervously over to the king and bowed. "Hist! Your majesty," he said in his best confidential-adviser tone, "Now I'm always one for safety first and all that, but the natives are growing restive. Isn't there any way we could rush him along, or," he waved a wing tentatively, "well, you know, skip this part of the ceremony and come back to it later if there's time?" "Zazu!" admonished Mufasa, shuffling his hind quarters around to face the bird. There came a cry of protest from below. "De little rocks! Watch de little rocks!" "Oh, sorry Rafiki!" called the lion over his shoulder, then he addressed his majordomo again. "Zazu," he said again, "the holding up of the cub is the climax of the entire presentation! You don't just skip that part." "Yes dear," said Sarabi, looking up from where she was cradling the tiny cub, "but why couldn't we just have held it down by the waterhold like I'd suggested? There's lots of seating down there, and you remember your late twin brother Kwaa..." "Darling," rumbled Mufasa, moving forward to nuzzle his queen. "It's not like the poor shaman makes it a habit of dropping cubs from a height. He was nervous, and he tripped. It was a terrible accident. He felt worse about than anybody! Besides, none of the other shaman could touch his rates, and he specializes in high-altitude presentations." "Ahem," said Zazu, clearing his throat politely. "That may be, your majesty, but we have a rather large crowd below who's getting a bit impatient." "Well, lead them in another round of Pumbaaya," said Mufasa, "I'm going to nip back into the den and see what's taking Sarafina so long with Simba's little brother. We want to have the twins ready for the presentation when that monkey finally makes it up here..." David "Snowcat" Braun (FurryMuck: Plonq) ---------------------------------------- Man, this is crazy. I hope I didn't brain my damage! H Simpson