A Dangerous Desert

Plot[]

At the start of the comic, Rafiki is reminding Simba that he will one day be the Lion King, like his father before him. Simba tells Rafiki that he's aware of this and reminds him that he doesn't have to keep telling him over and over again. In response, the old baboon instructs Simba to listen and learn, so that one day, he'll be the greatest animal in the savanna.

As Simba turns to leave, Rafiki tells him that he's lucky to be so special. The cub is surprised at these words but impressed. He puffs out his chest fur proudly and proclaims that he's invincible and fearless. With the same utter confidence, he decides to climb the side of a gorge to prove how special he is. After completing this task, he proceeds to climb a tall tree and then goes on to swim across a raging river, all the while boasting about how brave he is.

Upon reaching the opposite bank of the river, Simba shakes himself off and comments that the only bad thing about swimming is getting wet. Looking up from his swim, the cub realizes that he has wandered into a desert. Despite this, he is unafraid.

Upon wandering into the parched landscape, Simba spots a clump of trees in the distance. As he draws nearer, however, the grove of trees disappears. Though he is confused, he comes to the conclusion that he made a mistake and the trees were really just farther away. As he continues to search for the trees, he finds that they're nowhere in sight. He then asks himself which way the Pride Lands are and suddenly realizes that he's lost.

After a long while of wandering, Simba begins to suffer from the intense heat and a severe lack of water. Unable to take it anymore, the cub collapses in the sand. As the sun beats down on him, he dazedly calls out for his parents and wonders if he'll ever see Nala again. At the same moment, he looks up to see his father's figure shimmering up ahead. No sooner does Simba see this when Mufasa rears out of the sunlight and snatches his son up in his jaws.

After recovering from his heat stroke, Simba is scolded by his father. Mufasa reprimands his son on his foolishness and reminds him that even a king must respect the forces of nature. Simba miserably tells his father that he'd thought he could do whatever he wanted, and Mufasa tells him that he now knows that no one is invincible or fearless. Simba promises to never do it again and then proclaims that he has learned his lesson.

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