King of the Kalahari

King of the Kalahari is an early treatment for what would become The Lion King. It was written by Tom Disch and dated October 11, 1988.
==Synopsis==
After the pre-credit sequence (crossing the Sahara and the Congo jungle), we hear the deep, creepy voice of the vulture Skobi. He says that the Dark Continent is composed of many small kingdoms and that the broad veldts is ruled by a "king of beasts," or a lion. He is the creator of three laws that apply to all the beasts: be alert, be fast, and be patient. While he talks, a herd of wildebeests eats grass while a pride of lions monitors them. One wildebeest sniffs the air and alerts the others to run. One wildebeest falls behind the herd, and the lions hunt him down. Their king, Brond, stands above them.
With their prey caught, the lions gather to feast, though Brond is allowed the first bite, much to the annoyance of a young male, Mruki. Lisaba scolds him for this, reminding him that Brond and his mate Sheena are the first to eat from the carcass, but Mruki ignores her, advancing on the fallen prey. This earns him a swipe from Weena, Sheena's younger sister, and mocking from Sheena's daughter. Mruki's annoyance is only fueled by reprimands by Skobi.
After the prey is devoured, the pride returns to their home, where Sheena greets her son, Rego, the heir apparent. Despite his regal title, he is lazily playing with a kangaroo rat, which earns him a gentle scold from his mother.
One day, Mruki lures Rego away from the other lions and toward a group of hyenas. The hyenas chase Rego, and Mruki climbs a nearby tree to watch. Just as Rego is about to get caught, he is saved by the king of the elephants, Jambo, who is considered Brond's equal.
Shortly afterward, the lions follow the herds north. On the way, Mruki takes the first bites from an antelope he has killed in defiance of the "Laws of Precedence," which causes King Brond to exile him.
A year later, Brond's pride encounters Mruki, who is full-grown and has a distinctive black mane. Mruki challenges Brond and defeats him, thus becoming the new king. Sheena, believing her son to be in danger, advises Rego to leave the pride. He flees with Brond's court jester, Bobo, a mandrill who is also in danger. The two face numerous difficulties, including the hyenas from earlier, who hunt them down and trap them in a tree. Bobo escapes and finds help in the form of a pride of female lions in want of a male. Bobo leads them to Rego, and the hyenas are soundly beaten. Rego joins this new pride and begins a romance with a lioness named Nanda.
Meanwhile, Mruki violates the laws of veldt again by attacking a baby elephant. Rego's pride is following the same herds as Mruki's when they unexpectedly come upon King Brond, who has been living with two old male friends since his defeat. Rego is taught how to fight by these three older lions.
With this newfound knowledge, Rego's pride moves on and runs into Mruki and his pride. Mruki and Rego fight in a water hole, with many animals watching them. Rego wins, and Mruki is sentenced to banishment. As Mruki leaves, Rego warns him not to walk on a salt pan, but Mruki ignores him. The crust gives way under Mruki's feet, and he falls down into the mire. Finally, Rego becomes the King of the Kalahari, and Nanda nurses their cubs.
==Appearances==
==Trivia==
* An edited version of the script's first page yields more of the story.
==References==
Category:Concepts
Category:Drafts
Category:Real world