The Annointment

			Brother Sun comes to greet the morning;
			N'gonyama, oh, incosi, oh!
			Brother Moon better heed his warning;
			N'gonyama, oh, incosi, oh!
			Wake up, wake up, you sleeping beauties!
			N'gonyama, oh, incosi, oh!
			Time to see to your daily duties!
			N'gonyama, oh, incosi, oh!

					--  Traditional Lioness Chant

The time for Tanabi's presentation was drawing close, and feverish 
preparations were being made.  Everything had to run smoothly and well, 
for this would be the first formal presentation since Simba was held up.  
The land had returned from a long sleep to wakeful fertility and 
prosperity, and this ceremony would be an acknowledgment of the King's 
gratefulness to God and of his duty to his subjects.
	Zazu excitedly went about the Kingdom spreading the happy news--
Aiheu's light would be seen anointing the brow of the new prince!  
Lisani wondered about the goings on, and asked Isha to tell her about 
the presentation and what was so special about it.
	"This is one time I defer to Rafiki, my dear.  He presented Simba, 
and before him Makedde presented Mufasa.  I think Busara did it before 
him, but that was a long time ago."
	Lisani was a curious cub, and she went to find the old mandrill 
who was busy making preparations.  
	"Rafiki?"
	"Miss Priss??"  Rafiki came and embraced her.  "It's so good to 
see you, my dear!  So much work for this old monkey, and so little time!  
I need a break, and you are it."
	Lisani purred and rubbed against Rafiki.  "Now I feel guilty.  You 
don't know what I came to ask you."
	"Something more to do??"  Rafiki sighed.  "What did I forget this 
time?"
	"Nothing, I hope.  I just wanted to know a little more about the 
presentation.  I heard that it didn't used to be done this way.  Wasn't 
Ahadi the first?"
	"No.  Zari was the first.  And he was presented by a dear old 
friend named Busara.  Busara was my mentor and he used to...."  Rafiki 
cuffed himself in the cheek.  "Now listen to me, starting in the middle 
of a tale!  Those are the three things that begin to fail when you get 
to be my age.  Your concentration, your memory, and...the third thing!"
	Lisani laughed and touched his cheek with her tongue.  "You crazy 
monkey!  I'm sorry.  You're busy and I'll come back later."
	"Oh no, Lissie!  Talking about it isn't my problem.  Maybe it will 
help me to go over it again.  Busara made it all look so easy."
	"What about Busara?  Who was he?"
	"Who was Busara??"  He laughed.  "I didn't think there was a cub 
in this pride that hadn't heard of him!  When Queen Asumini was alive 
and her husband King Hatamu ruled the Pride Lands, Asumini went on a 
hunt and was badly injured near the village where I grew up.  Busara was 
a young shaman in those days, and you must understand that he was old 
for a mandrill when I was very young to see how long ago that was.  
Busara won Asumini's trust and treated her wound.  Then he went and got 
a pair of lionesses to help him haul the queen back to Pride Rock.  She 
was VERY grateful indeed, and Busara was very relieved.
	"He got home, told a couple of folks what he was doing because he 
was gone all day and his friends were worried for him.
	"Then the very next night our friend the leopardess decided to 
kill herself a young mandrill girl."
	She was scandalized.  "I thought that was against the Peace of 
Asumini!"
	"Whoa, you're getting ahead of me.  Who's telling this story, 
anyhow?"  Rafiki smiled and kissed Lisani.  "The very next day the blood 
is seen and her toy is seen where the leopard dragged her off into the 
bush.  A raving, grief stricken mother pointed at Busara and said, `See 
how they show their gratitude??  A curse on you, Busara!  May you rot in 
hell!'
	"Rafiki!"
	"I didn't make this up.  I only reported it."  Rafiki nodded 
gravely.  "Let's just say some people were very upset.  And from that 
moment Busara and his family were in great danger.  Adults would 
threaten him and shun him, and some children threw rocks at him and his 
family.
	"Grieving and feeling a little betrayed, Busara headed back to the 
Pride Lands.  He humbled himself before the King and Queen.  `Why, my 
lords, why have you cast me down before my people?  Did I not 
unselfishly heal the wound on your shoulder, my queen?  Even after you 
cut my hand?'
	"'What is this you are saying?' Asumini said.  'I am your friend.  
How have I cast you down before your people?'
	"Busara said, 'Long have we hidden our village from the Pride.  
One day I helped the Queen and the very next night one of our children 
was killed.  Tell me that it was a leopard and not one of your people!'  
Busara fell to the ground and kissed Asumini's paw.  `I do not regret 
that I saved your life.  Even if you had killed half my village, I could 
not have let you die.  But tell me it was not a lion that killed her!'
	"`I swear it was no lion,' Asumini said.  `I swear by Aiheu.'
	"Busara wept.  `I believe you, my lady.  Only my people will not 
believe it.  Let me bring my family to live here in safety.'
	"King Hatamu stirred.  `My lands are as yours, and safely shall 
you walk through them with your family.  But for those who hold you to 
scorn, I will let you present my son Zari.  Do this so all who breathe 
may see my love for you.'
	"And so it was that on the day of the presentation, Busara held up 
the son of the king for all to see, and a shaft of light touched him, 
and in the light was a voice which spoke to Busara.  Weeping, he held 
the cub to his heart and kissed him.  `My Lord and my God!' Busara 
cried.'
	"Deeply moved, Hatamu said before all the assemblage, `Since Mano, 
there has not walked the earth one so good of heart and true of path as 
my friend Busara.  And my friend he is, for I swear by my mane that 
between our peoples there should be peace forever.'  And all of the 
mandrills who were there were humbled and ashamed for the way they 
treated Busara.  That was the beginning of the Peace of Asumini.
	"When Zari was placed back by his mother's side, Asumini asked 
him, `What did the Lord say to you?'
	"Busara said, `He told me I must protect the Prince, even as Aiheu 
has taught me.'
	"Busara had nothing in the rough pouch he wore over his shoulder 
except some herbs to treat Asumini's sore shoulder.  But when he reached 
inside, he found a fruit which he split.  Taking his thumb, he took some 
of the living oil of chrism and anointed the forehead of the cub.  `May 
your works be fertile and prosperous as the fruit which sprouts new 
life.'  He took dust from the ground and sprinkled it on the oil.  `May 
your body be strong and enduring as the dust from which you came.'  He 
took a rattle from the pouch which, since it came from Aiheu would be 
passed down as a relic, and shook it.  `May your spirit be mighty as the 
thunderstorm, yet kindly as the rain.'
	"Finally, he took herbs from his pouch.
	"'What do those represent?' Asumini asked.
	"'These represent my love for you,' he said, placing them on her 
healing shoulder and rubbing them in gently.  `I should not have 
listened to my people.  I should never have asked you if it was a lion 
that killed the child.  Forgive me.'
	"Asumini took her paw and drew Busara to her side.  She nuzzled 
him and kissed him and pawed his cheek.  `I cannot forgive you until you 
anger me, foolish monkey'
	"Busara said, `I have seen the Lord, my lady.  Everything I once 
believed has been turned aside.  I am empty as a gourd in the dry 
season.  Fill me with the knowledge of this Aiheu, that I may keep the 
Lord in my heart all my days.'
	"And Asumini smiled.  `Blessed are you, Busara!  The peace you 
seek within is a far greater gift than any peace from without.  You have 
chosen the best part of the kill, and I will feed you till your hunger 
is satisfied.'  And to this day there has been a mandrill from my 
village to do the presentation."
	Lisani looked at Rafiki intently.  "Will you see Aiheu when it 
happens?"
	"Probably.  I did when I presented Simba.  But my dear, I see 
Aiheu in many places.  I see him in the way you smile at me.  There is 
so much wonder in the world, that if you lived a thousand lifetimes you 
could not witness it all.  And in all of it, you can find God."