Zebra Crossing

Zebra Crossing is a short story inspired by The Lion King. It was published by Scholastic on September 19, 1997, as part of Short Stories.
==Synopsis==
Simba and Nala were good friends with a young zebra named Punda. The friends often played hide-and-seek together, though Punda always lost due to his distinctive black and white coat. Conversely, whenever the friends had a race, Punda won because his legs were strong and muscular.
One day, Simba, Nala, and Punda stopped to drink from a water hole. While they were drinking, Simba asked Punda if they would be friends forever, and the young zebra proclaimed that they would. Just then, Punda's mother, Milia, appeared on a ridge alongside her old friend, Nyumbu the wildebeest. Upon seeing them, Punda told his friends that he had to leave, but Simba begged him to ask his mother for more playtime. Punda explained that he knew it was time to leave whenever Nyumbu was with his mother, and Nala noted an unusual sadness in the young zebra's voice. Despite Punda's rejection, Simba told him to meet them by the big baobab tree the following day.
After Punda left, Nala commented that Nyumbu was creepy. Simba replied that all wildebeests were like that because, according to Mufasa, they did too much thinking to talk. He then remarked that Milia did not like them much, likely because they would one day grow up and hunt zebras. Nala proclaimed that she did not want to grow up, but Simba assured her that lions eating zebras was part of the Circle of Life. Even so, he asserted that he, Nala, and Punda would always be friends.
The next day, Simba and Nala waited for Punda at the big baobab tree, but the zebra never showed up. The friends surmised why he might be gone, suggesting such reasons as Milia forbidding him from seeing them, Punda forgetting their date, or someone kidnapping Punda.
Just then, Simba's uncle Scar walked by, and Simba greeted him joyously. Though Scar loathed Simba, he feigned politeness and asked his nephew why he was outside on such a hot day. The cubs explained that they were waiting for their friend, Punda, who was late, and Scar mused aloud about something terrible that might have befallen the young zebra. With some prompting from Simba, Scar disclosed that hyenas had been spotted in the Pride Lands in an area on the edge of the kingdom. He then swore Simba to secrecy and forbid the cub from going after the hyenas. However, Simba insisted that he must rescue his friend, so he and Nala charged off in the direction Scar had indicated. As they raced off, Scar laughed to himself and plotted to send hyenas to intercept them.
Simba and Nala arrived in a deep gully, and Nala expressed her disapproval of the area. Both cubs wondered why their friend would come to such a place, as there was no grass to eat, but they persisted in searching for him anyway. Suddenly, the two were set upon by a pair of hyenas, one of whom managed to grab Simba by the tail. From his prone position, Simba ordered Nala to run, and she fled while the two hyenas surrounded Simba. Though Simba threatened the hyenas that his father would take revenge on them if they hurt him, they simply cackled and gloated about the "royal banquet" they were about to enjoy.
Meanwhile, Nala searched the grasslands for zebras, as she believed that they could deliver a message to Mufasa much faster than she could. She soon ran into Zazu, to whom she explained the entire situation. She then ordered him to fetch Mufasa, and the hornbill flew off to deliver the message.
Back on the edge of the Pride Lands, Simba fought for his life, even though the hyenas were only toying with him. In the midst of the fight, Simba asserted that his father and uncle would save him, but at the mention of Scar's name, the hyenas only laughed louder. Little did the cub know that Scar had used the vultures as messengers and promised them what was left of Simba after the hyenas had taken their fill.
Just as the hyenas declared that they were ready to eat Simba, Mufasa appeared on the edge of the gully and roared. The hyenas fled before him, but Mufasa did not bother to chase them. Instead, he asked Simba if he was all right, and the cub insisted that he could have taken on the hyenas himself if he had wanted. Nala soon appeared, and Mufasa questioned why they had been so far from home. Simba explained that they had been searching for their friend, Punda, and Mufasa informed the cubs that he could show them where their friend was.
With Mufasa in the lead, the group traveled to a valley, where they beheld a large mass of wildebeests and zebras heading south. Simba questioned what was going on, and Mufasa explained that it was the annual migration of the herds, who were seeking greener fields elsewhere. Simba wondered if he would ever see Punda again, and Mufasa assured him that the zebra would return someday. He then told Simba that Punda would be his friend no matter how far away they were from one another.
As the group returned home, Mufasa expressed pride in his son for having been so brave. Simba replied that he had simply been looking out for Punda because that was what friends did. Mufasa agreed with the sentiment, then told Simba that his mother was waiting for him at home.
==Appearances==
Category:The Lion King short stories
Category:Real world
Category:Short stories