CHAPTER:  MORE THAN AN UNCLE

	Kako was worried about presenting Mabatu to the King.  She had 
seen only compassion and kindness in Taka's eyes, but she had also 
heard--and overheard--a lot of things about him that distressed her.
	There were always the hyenas.  It struck Kako as unnatural that 
they would be sharing the rock with lions.  Certainly Mufasa would never 
have permitted such a thing.  Everyone spoke of Mufasa like some sort of 
Mano with golden fur.  Everyone, that was, except Taka.  Once when 
coaxed to speak of his brother, Taka told Kako that Mufasa was dull 
witted and more obsessed with popularity than with handing down the hard 
decisions that a King should make.  "He sat watching the wildebeests 
while I paid attention to my lessons.  Alas, cruel irony of fate, he was 
trampled by them.  The one good thing I can say about him was that he 
loved his son."
	Kako had noticed that Taka was a little odd.  He had a certain 
intensity when he stared at her right in the eyes, and he possessed a 
lot of strange mannerisms.  But she tried to convince herself that the 
other lionesses were unfairly prejudiced against him.  And of course, 
she did not dream that Taka had driven out his nephew and murdered his 
own brother!
	Kako finished Mabatu's first meal, then she took him gently by the 
scruff of the neck and carried him gingerly back to Pride Rock to her 
favorite haunt.
	The king came running down the trail.  When Taka first caught 
sight of young Mabatu, he was elated.  "Look at him!  Isn't he a 
looker!"
	Kako looked up and smiled pleasantly.  "They say love makes the 
child beautiful," she replied.  "I gave up everything for him, and it 
shows."
	Indeed, after the hunt was divided, all the lionesses filed by to 
pay their respects and many of them mentioned his good looks.  It was a 
saying among the lionesses that handsome cubs often grew up to be plain, 
and sometimes the homeliest cubs grew up to be stunningly beautiful.  
But it didn't keep them from hoping he would one day live up to his 
promise.
	Taka's sense of duty compelled him at the sight of the proud 
stranger caring for her child in a strange land.  As ruler of the pride, 
he felt responsible for them and went beyond what was necessary to 
insure their comfort.  During the days of Mabatu's milk, Taka would save 
choice portions of the kills for Kako so that her milk would be 
wholesome and plentiful.  And when Mabatu began to try solid food, Taka 
would bring him tempting tidbits to eat.  Baba, as he was often called, 
found Taka more of a father than an Uncle.
	Despite all the lavish attention paid her by the king, Kako was 
somehow immune from the prejudice that had tarnished Elanna.  It was all 
right that Taka loved her like a sister and loved Mabatu like a son.  
All who knew them felt the same way.  If anything, it helped Taka's 
perception among the Pride Sisters, and while he was never liked as a 
King, he was tolerated because of his care for little Baba.  Even Isha 
paid him grudging respect when she saw him give up part of his share of 
the kill for the cub.
	Once briefly Elanna expressed a little jealousy of Kako and the 
attention she was getting.  But Taka kissed her and nuzzled her and 
said, "In her I see my deepest pains.  In you I see my deepest joys."


CHAPTER:  LEAN RATIONS

	When Mabatu was three moons old, he went to his Auntie Isha for 
his nightly lesson in star lore.  She had to cancel class because the 
sky was overcast.  A bolt of lightning flashed and within moments it was 
raining heavily.  That rain would be remembered for a long time because 
it was the last one before the drought.
	Hunting had already begun to suffer in the Pride Lands because of 
the hyenas.  Besides taking many of the best resting places, shedding 
hair and raising a smell that many lions called `oppressive' or 
`downright disgusting,' the hyenas ate a lot for animals their size.  
There were signs they hid away some of the prey as well.  And while the 
lionesses never killed rabbits, their small carcasses were found more 
and more often.  The hyenas were eating much better than the lions, and 
the issue began to raise some angry words among the Pride Sisters who 
had to hunt for their own cubs.
	Then came the terrible draught that would be known for many years 
after as `Taka's scourge.'  It seemed like an unfair name, but Rafiki 
assured them later that One-who-makes-rain was holding back the water 
because of Taka himself.
	For the first week without rain, no one was alarmed.  Two dry 
weeks seemed odd.  Three weeks, and lionesses began to make remarks.  
But after four weeks without rain, hunting began to become an exercise 
in frustration. 
	Among the first to leave the Pride Lands were the hunters.  Timid 
at first, but progressively more bold, the cheetahs would stand the 
humiliation of a shamefully long wait to see the king.  Then Taka would 
listen politely to their complaints, say something patronizing, and 
dismiss them.
	Eventually the cheetahs left, followed shortly by the leopards 
that haunted the edges of the Pride Lands.  Before the drought was over, 
the foxes, wild dogs, and eagles would desert the land.  Only the 
vultures never left, but they had their eyes on Pride Rock and bigger 
game.
	Little Baba's appetite was growing along with his body.  His 
"Uncle Taka" had to work harder to find enough for him to eat.  As the 
river receded, several shallow pools formed along the edges where fish 
were trapped.  The hyenas tended to raid theose as soon as they formed, 
though the lionesses eventually caught on and would keep a watchful eye 
along the bank.  Those fish were all that stood between them and 
starvation, and they dared the hyenas to touch them under pain of death.  
Taka used his royal privilege, however, and brought Baba a couple of 
large fish.  When Baba turned from them, Taka sighed and said morosely, 
"But I caught them myself just for you."
	Baba sniffed of them again and tried one.  It was not bad, and he 
quickly downed it with a look of pleasure.  Then he started to eat the 
other, but stopped.  "What are you going to eat?"
	"I'll find something."
	"Here."  He shoved the fish over to Taka.  "You eat this one."
	Taka looked into Mabatu's face, stunned.  "What a kind thing to 
do," he said, giving him a warm nuzzle.  "I love you, Baba."
	"I love you too."


CHAPTER:  THE SUITOR

	Kako was dubious about Taka's care of her son, but she adored Isha 
and looked forward to her visits.  Isha had endless patience with the 
boisterous love Mabatu gave her, stoically enduring his pounces at her 
tail, his tugging at her ears and his snapping at her heels.  She knew 
when the rough play was over he would look to her with unadulterated 
love.  Then she would hold him close with joy, kissing his small face 
and fondling him with her paw.  
	One day when Isha came to take care of Mabatu while Kako went to 
see Rafiki.  Kako told Isha, "You're the sister I never had.  What 
wonderful thing did I do to deserve you?"
	Isha nuzzled her.  "I was just wondering the same thing."
	"That's the third time this moon you've taken care of Mabatu for 
me.  There must be something I can do in return."
	"I love the little fellow.  I enjoy every moment we spend 
together.  That's my reward."
	While Kako was gone, Isha settled down to watch him play until he 
was ready for sleep.  But he was in high spirits and kept challenging 
her to a fight so they wrestled instead.  Mabatu had a size 
disadvantage, but he'd learned a new move, and he grabbed for her hind 
leg, pulling her off balance.  When she toppled easily, he pounced on 
her stomach and giggled.  "Gotcha!"
	"What a little stinker!"  She crawled out from under him, dusted 
herself off, and said, "I'll get you next time, you little rat fink."
	He reached up and kissed her.  "I love you."
	"I love you too."
	He smiled.  "Are you married?"
	She laughed self-consciously.  "No.  But maybe someday the right 
lion will come along."
	He kissed her again.  "When I grow up, I want to marry you."
	"Oh, Baba!"  She pawed him and giggled.  "What am I going to do 
with you!"
	"Please don't laugh at me.  I meant it."
	She paused and looked at the very sincere, sensitive look in his 
eyes.  Indeed, he meant it.
	"I wasn't laughing at you.  It was just such a sweet thing to say.  
I wasn't expecting it, that's all."
	"You're not mad?"
	"No."  She kissed him and rubbed his cheek with her large paw.  He 
looked at her with absolute love and touched her paw with his.  A deep 
warmth spread through, and her eyes shone like stars.  "That was the 
nicest proposal I've ever heard, and I've heard quite a few."  She 
pulled him over with her paw.  "Time for your bath, squirt."
	Mabatu meekly submitted to the ritual without the usual 
objections.  As she cleaned his fur, he purred quietly and looked deeply 
into her eyes.  Even his own mother could not get him to behave while 
she bathed him, much less force him to enjoy it.
	Mabatu was sorry to see his mother come back from Rafiki's 
appointment so soon.  He greeted her affectionately, but was loathe to 
let Isha go.  Isha kissed him more than usual and nuzzled him.  "I love 
you, my special little boy."
	"I love you too."
	Later that day as the lionesses gathered for the hunt, Uzuri came 
to Isha with a broad smile on her face.  "Congratulations!"
	"On what?"
	"On the big event.  Mabatu just told me the good news."  She 
laughed merrily.
	Embarrassed, Isha asked her, "Who else did he tell?"
	"I don't know.  But I'd catch him quickly if I were you."
	"I'll have a little talk with him."  Isha thought a moment and 
burst out laughing.  "He asked me if I was married.  The little rat 
fink, I should have known what he was up to!"

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