Young Simba came in to where Mufasa and Elanna were peacefully asleep. “Hey Dad!” He could get no response from his father. “Dad! Daaaad!” He jumped up and pulled Mufasa’s ear. “Dad!!”

“Yes?”

Elanna stirred sleepily. “Your son is awake.”

Mufasa grumbled. “Before sunrise, he’s your son.”

“Dad! You promised!”

“Oh yes. Just a moment.”

The huge male stirred sleepily, then rose to his feet and stretched. With life returning to his limbs, he headed to the mouth of the cave. Looking out, he said with some disgust, “Oh great, it’s overcast. And after all this trouble.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well just look at it.”

“Just look at what?”

Mufasa realized the futility of asking. He had kept Simba in the dark about the surprise. “Well, come on. I’ll just have to point out the boundary.”

As they headed out onto the promontory, lightning flashed in the distance. A wind blew in from the south, stirring Mufasa’s mane. A few drops of rain tickled his nose. “Oh great. It’s going to rain too.”

Dutifully, Mufasa sat on the tip of the stone and Simba snuggled against him on the side protected from the wind. “What are you going to point out?”

“Your kingdom. One day the sun will set on my reign. It will rise to find you the new King.”

“Whoa,” Simba said. “That won’t be for a long time, I hope.”

“I want to stay around a little while longer too.” Mufasa reached out with his paw and fondled Simba’s shoulder. “I love you son.”

“I love you too, Dad.”

Then with his paw, Mufasa made a sweeping motion. “Everything you can see will one day be yours. Everything except this land toward Elephant Kopje. There you must never go.”