After the pre-credit sequence (crossing the Sahara and the Congo jungle), we hear the deep, creepy voice of the vulture Skobi. He says that the Dark Continent is composed of many small kingdoms and that the broad veldts is ruled by a "king of beasts," or a lion. He is the creator of three laws that apply to all the beasts: be alert, be fast, and be patient. While he talks, a herd of wildebeests eats grass while a pride of lions monitors them. One wildebeest sniffs the air and alerts the others to run. One wildebeest falls behind the herd, and the lions hunt him down. Their king, Brond, stands above them.