| Mr. Perfect | |
|---|---|
| |
| Publication information | |
| Publication | |
| Published |
1994–1997 |
| Collection | |
| Issue |
48–50 |
| Pages |
12 |
| Guide | |
| Previous | |
| Next | |
Mr. Perfect is a magazine story inspired by The Lion King. It was published in three issues of The Lion King: A Nature Fun and Learn Series as part of the Hakuna Matata magazine series.
Synopsis[]
Part 1[]
Mr. Perfect begins by introducing Simba, the self-exiled prince of the Pride Lands, and his two friends, Timon and Pumbaa. At the start of the story, the three friends are attempting to fell a tree in the hopes of finding grubs. While Pumbaa and Simba slash at it with their tusks and claws, Timon sits by lazily, yelling encouragement at his friends. At last, the tree falls, but as it drops to the ground, dirty water from within its trunk washes over the three friends.
Drenched in mucky water, Pumbaa suggests they clean off in a nearby water hole. The three friends trudge to the water hole, and Pumbaa jumps eagerly into the waiting mud. While he's relaxing, he meets a female warthog named Pongaa, who becomes instantly infatuated with him. Though Pumbaa tries to escape her affections, Pongaa follows him out of the mud and insists that they get to know each other better.
As Pongaa advances on Pumbaa, a snake attempts to eat her, but Pumbaa's warning yell saves her just in the nick of time. Incredulous, Pongaa tells Pumbaa that she must stay with him now, for he has just saved her life. Simba and Timon watch their interaction with growing unease, as this could mean trouble for their warthog friend.
Part 2[]
As time drags on, Pumbaa and his friends grow weary of Pongaa, who is absolutely love-struck for her newfound hero. So desperate does Pumbaa become that he begs Simba to scare her away with a roar, and Simba reluctantly agrees to help his friend. However, when Simba roars at Pongaa from the bottom of a steep slope, Pongaa sets stones rolling down the hill, and Simba is struck by the falling debris. Pongaa hears the young cub's cry of anger and trills that any friend of Pumbaa's is a friend of hers. She then leaps down the slope and lands heavily on Simba.
Furious at Pumbaa, Simba refuses to help any further. Pumbaa, seeing no other options, begs Timon for help, and the meerkat agrees to get Pongaa off his back.
Part 3[]
Timon pulls Pongaa aside and tells her that he knows about a nice mud hole she can show to Pumbaa to win his affections. Pongaa is eager to find the mud hole and follows Timon into the deep jungle. Eventually, Timon manages to lose Pongaa in the vegetation, but she quickly turns his loss into a game of hide-and-seek. While in hiding, Timon can't resist eating a grub, and Pongaa is alerted to his presence when she hears him slurping up the quick snack.
In defeat, Timon trudges back to his friends, Pongaa at his side. Despite Timon's failure, Pumbaa refuses to give up. Diving into a pool of clean water, he declares that he will never again take a mud bath, much to Pongaa's dismay, and invites her to join him in the fresh water. Pongaa watches in disgust and realizes that he may not be the perfect warthog after all.
Just as this thought crosses her mind, another warthog named Guy appears and invites Pongaa to join him in the mud. With one last withering look at Pumbaa, Pongaa trots happily away, and Pumbaa cheers at her departure.
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