A Prince's Day

A Prince's Day is a short story inspired by The Lion King. It was published by Disney Press on September 25, 2018, as part of 5-Minute Classic Stories.
==Publisher's summary==
"Before Simba can be the lion king, he must learn to be a good ruler. Follow along as Zazu teaches Simba what it means to take his place in the circle of life."
==Synopsis==
One morning, Nala invited her friend, Simba, to accompany her to the river. Though Simba tried to quiet Nala, Zazu overheard her and reminded Simba that he had to spend the day training. Simba protested that he and Nala had been planning to visit the river, but Zazu countered that Simba had certain responsibilities as prince. Dejected, Simba trailed after Zazu, while Nala carried on to the river alone.
First, Zazu led Simba to the watering hole and taught him that it was a king's duty to solve disputes between his subjects. He then pointed out that the antelope had been drinking too long and that it was the rhinoceroses' turn. While Zazu spoke to the antelope, Simba attempted to sneak away to reconvene with Nala. Before he had gotten far, Zazu caught up to him and demanded to know where he was going. Simba complained that they had been at the watering hole for hours and asked if he could play with Nala, but Zazu argued that a prince's job was never done.
Next, Zazu guided Simba to Pride Rock, where the cub's father, Mufasa, was listening to the complaints of his subjects. Zazu explained that a king must listen to other animals and remarked that Simba could learn a lot from his father. Simba tried to pay attention as Mufasa advised and listened to the Pride Landers but soon grew bored and fell asleep. Once the Pride Landers had cleared out, Zazu demanded to know if Simba had been listening, and Simba replied that he had heard some of what had been said.
Together, Simba and Zazu left Pride Rock to walk along the river. Suddenly, Simba heard a yell and followed the sound to where Nala had fallen into the fast-flowing current. Thinking quickly, he ordered Zazu to fetch his father while he stayed behind to help Nala. Upon finding a long tree branch on the bank, he lowered it toward her and pulled her safely to shore.
At that moment, Mufasa ran up with Zazu, and Simba assured them that he had rescued Nala. After sending Nala and Zazu on to Pride Rock, Mufasa informed Simba that, though he had wanted to play with Nala all day, Zazu had been teaching him important lessons about what it meant to be a king. He went on that Simba had learned to treat his subjects fairly at the watering hole and to be wise at Pride Rock but that he had taught himself the last lesson: a king must be brave. To Simba's delight, Mufasa praised him for his heroics in rescuing Nala and declared that he was proud of him.
With the lesson over, Mufasa granted Simba permission to play with Nala before dinner. As the cub bounded away, Zazu returned to Mufasa and commented that Simba would make a good king someday. Mufasa smiled and agreed.
==Appearances==
==Gallery==
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|-|Alternative covers=
A Prince's Day cover.png|The Scholastic Australia front cover
A Prince's Day back cover.png|The Scholastic Australia back cover
A Prince's Day ebook icon.png|The icon for A Prince's Day in the Disney Story Realms app
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==Media==
Storytime with JD McCrary Disney|A read-aloud of A Prince's Day by JD McCrary
==References==
Category:The Lion King short stories
Category:Real world
Category:Short stories