1) Read and highlight the important information in the following text
Name:__________________________________________________
The Story of Sundiata: ‘The Lion King’
A long time ago, King Maghan ruled the kingdom of Mali. He was loved by his people and had many wives. One day, a hunter
came from far away to visit the king. The hunter asked him to marry a woman called Sogolon. King Magham demanded, "why should I
marry a woman I do not know just because a stranger has told me to?" The hunter told him that Sogolon would bear him a son who will
become the greatest king ever to rule the kingdom. Like most Malians, the king believed in fate and destiny, and the king listened to the
advice of the hunter. Even though Sogolon was very ugly, the king married her and she gave birth to a son. He was named Sundiata. But
as the boy grew older they realised that he couldn’t use his legs.
King Maghan became very sick when Sundiata was still a young boy. Knowing his days were numbered, the king called Sundiata
to his bedside, telling his son, “when I go, you will be king. You are destined for greatness, my boy!” But after king Maghan died, the king’s
first wife ‘Sassouma’ believed that her son, Dankaran should be king. Sassouma spread tales about Sundiata around the kingdom so
people wouldn’t accept him. The gossip worked and Dankaran became king instead. Sundiata was forced to flee with his mother.
Living far away in a foreign land, Sogolon became very unhappy. She said to her son, "Sundiata, you must know that I love you
dearly, but I am worried about your future. You are a strong boy and have a great heart, but your legs have allowed Sassouma to take
control. We cannot let Dankaran be king - it is against your father’s wishes!" Sundiata felt sad but he had great courage and determination.
Using two iron rods from a blacksmith, Sundiata used all his strength to pull himself up. Gradually, his legs started to grow, and within
minutes he was standing on his own two feet. He told the gathering crowd, “now I’m ready to be king!
The young Sundiata grew into a man and became famous for his strength and charm. He had many admirers. In the meantime,
Sassouma and Dankaran had lost control of the kingdom to a wicked wizard called Sumanguru. An old friend called Balle Fasseke told
Sundiata how Sumanguru had magical powers over the people of Mali, and how he even displayed the skins and skulls of his enemies as
treasures in his chamber.
Sundiata was determined to go back and free his people of the terrible wizard. Balle Fasseke gave him a special arrow that would
make Sumanguru lose his evil magic if scratched by the arrow. Trusting his friend, Sundiata set off to fight Sumanguru, joined by hundreds
of his friends and supporters. There was a long and fierce battle but Sundiata’s determination and patience paid off. Sumanguru was
wounded by the arrow and lost all his power. The wizard fled, never to be seen again. Sundiata was finally crowned king, and his adoring
people called him, “the lion king of Mali” because of his strength and courage. Sundiata’s reign was a long and happy one, and he became
the greatest king ever to rule the kingdom of Mali.
Summary of Disney’s The Lion King:
A young lion prince is born in Africa to Queen Sarabi and King Mufasa, thus making his uncle Scar the second in line to the throne.
Scar plots with the hyenas to kill King Mufasa and Prince Simba, thus making himself King. The King is killed and Simba is led to believe by
Scar that it was his fault, and so flees the kingdom in shame. After years of exile he is persuaded by the Baboon Rafinki to return home to
overthrow Scar and claim the kingdom as his own thus completing the "Circle of Life".
2) List the Disney characters that correspond to the real life people
REAL LIFE PEOPLE
Sundiata – son of Maghan, son of Sogolon, Lion King
King Maghan – original king of Mali, father of Sundiata
Sogolon – mother of Sundiata, wife of Maghan
Sassouma – Maghan’s first wife, mother of Dankaran
Dankaran – son of Maghan, son of Sassouma
Sumanguru – wicked man who gained control of Mali
Balle Fasseke – Griot who befriended Sundiata
DISNEY’S LION KING CHARACTERS
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3) List 3 things that happened in the real life story of Sundiata that are featured in The Lion King
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4) Using Step-Up-To-Writing format, write a paragraph on the back explaining why you think that
Disney’s The Lion King is really the story of Sundiata & the Mali Empire
topic sentence = GREEN, evidence = YELLOW, analysis = RED