White Lion Page #2

The only way

to answer these questions

was to cross the river.

After his failed attempt

to make a meal

of a tortoise

and his painful encounter

with the porcupine,

choosing the right prey

was proving to be

quite a challenge

for young Letsatsi.

Now, vast

as the African bush seemed,

it wasn't long before Letsatsi

encountered another lion.

With a roar that sounded

like thunder...

This lion was known

as Ku Dzindza.

He pressed on,

up and up the great mountain.

And as the day's events

caught up with Letsatsi,

he was finally overcome

by exhaustion.

With the new day

came new hope.

Below him

was an unexplored valley

teeming with life.

Surely there was something

down there

to provide a meal

for a hungry young lion.

At last, Letsatsi's tracks

led Gisani to a clue

that he was still alive.

But he also quickly realized

that Letsatsi

was moving into an area

where game was hunted by man.

After avoiding Ku Dzindza,

you would think

that Letsatsi was crazy

following another lion.

But he sensed that something

was different about this one.

He was about six months older,

and Letsatsi's instinct

told him that this lion

just might be an ally

and a friend.

Maybe, just maybe,

Letsatsi's instincts

had been wrong.

Perhaps, now, his color

had something to do

with his rejection,

but by now, that was the least

of Letsatsi's worries.

He was desperately hungry

and needed to find food

and find it fast.

The following morning,

Letsatsi was in serious trouble.

He had no choice but to try

and join forces

with this experienced hunter

again.

And this time,

respecting Letsatsi's

fierce spirit and determination,

Nkulu,

which means "the elder,"

allowed him to have

the lion's share that day,

and a new friendship was born

over that carcass.

The bare bones before Gisani

was good news.

Judging by the tracks

around it,

Letsatsi had joined forces

with another lion.

Richards was a local hunter

and was curious to know

what Gisani was doing out here

so far from his village.

A lion kill.

Gisani explained

that a single lion

had brought down an impala

but two had fed on it.

They fed on him there,

and the hyenas just dragged him

some of the way.

The hunter was impressed...

Jackal also had a turn.

And, seeing Gisani's potential

as a tracker,

wasted no time

in offering him a job.

I can offer

three square meals a day.

Richards.

- Gisani.

- Gisani.

Letsatsi and Nkulu's

friendship

was growing stronger

by the day.

And soon

they became inseparable.

Days passed peacefully

as they lazed in the shade

and did what lions do best

during the hottest part

of the day...

sleep.

And as the night fell,

the hunt would begin.

Tonight they caught the scent

of an easy meal.

Mom!

A few nights later,

the two friends were witnessing

one of Mother Nature's

spectacular fireworks displays.

They were surrounded

by a lake of fire.

They were trapped.

Nkulu,

the stronger of the two,

managed to scramble

to safety.

But Letsatsi...

just couldn't make it.

What happened?

Did he get burned?

Did he die?

Easy, children.

Easy.

There's more of this story

still to tell.

Letsatsi did keep trying

and finally,

with his last ounce of strength,

managed to clamber up

and join his friend.

Finding a friend

is a good thing,

especially one who can teach you

important survival skills.

But sometimes friends

can lead you

down dangerous pathways

and teach you bad habits.

I can't believe this.

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

Oh, no!

With their bellies full,

Letsatsi and Nkulu

didn't have a care in the world.

Life was good.

The farmer had agreed

to sell Nkulu

to Richards the hunter,

who would probably

just have him stuffed.

Seems I've outdone you

this time.

I've bagged a lion.

Take a look.

And for

a heart-stopping moment,

Gisani was filled

with a terrible dread.

There were two of them.

The other one got away, though.

Do you know what

the interesting thing was?

The other one was white.

White? Are you sure?

Oh, yeah.

Didn't miss him by much.

Well, thank God you're not

a very good shot, then.

What do you mean?

Richards told the farmer

that he knew of more

than a dozen foreign hunters

who would pay handsomely

for such a trophy.

Keep an eye on the white.

There's more

where that came from.

Right.

Load him up, then.

Once again,

Letsatsi's world

was turned upside down.

So for the first time,

it looked like Letsatsi

would give in.

Without his close friend

Nkulu

and without anyone

to teach him how to hunt,

Letsatsi

was in serious trouble.

But if there is one thing

we have learned up to now:

Letsatsi would never give in.

And drawing on what little

reserves he had left,

he forced himself up

and tried to hunt one last time.

What a sweet victory

for Letsatsi

that guinea fowl was.

And although

it was not much to eat

and rather bony,

it was his first

successful hunt,

and he enjoyed every mouthful.

Letsatsi had become

a force to be reckoned with.

Even a dangerous hyena

was no match

for his growing strength

and confidence.

And as the days

stretched into months

and the months into years,

Letsatsi became the lion

he was meant to be.

News of Letsatsi's strength

and beauty

began to spread

beyond the valley,

and the hunter,

true to his word,

put out the invitation

to his wealthiest client

to come and hunt

one of the rarest,

most magnificent animals

in the whole of Africa.

And without hesitation,

a hunter by the name

of Nicalski

came to claim his trophy.

The hunt was on.

What was Gisani to do?

How would he explain

to his people

back at the village

that he was the one who led

the hunters to the white lion?

But why didn't he

leave the hunters

and chase Letsatsi away?

Good question.

But I believe he felt

it would be better

if he stayed close

to the danger.

And that meant staying close

to the hunter.

For Letsatsi,

the time had come

to fight

for a pride of his own.

He began the long journey back

to the territory

of the lion

that roared like thunder,

Ku Dzindza.

He was here yesterday.

Let's go.

Where is he?

He's doubled back.

Right, we'll cut

across the river.

We'll catch him there.

He's too far ahead.

We'll have to camp again.

What's going on with you?

'Cause it seems to me

like we've been chasing

our tails for two days now.

Boss, there's something

I must tell you.

The white lion-

Have you lost him?

We're right on him.

I'm not paying all this money

to watch the scenery, you know.

For crying in a bucket!

Now you are embarrassing me.

The white lion,

we cannot kill him.

Have you gone soft

in your head?

This is a lion hunt.

That man in that car has paid

a fortune of money for this.

But the legend says-

The legend,

that is a bedtime story.

It's still just a lion, Gisani.

What is it this time?

Where is he?

He's headed that way

over the neck.

Pull yourself together, man.

The young man's mind

was spinning.

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