Nala considered doing some further investigation as to the source of the mysterious kudu, but the smell of the meat was just too tempting. With some difficulty, she dragged the carcass further into the den, then flopped down next to it and began to eat.

Her mom had never managed to bring home this much extra meat; she usually got only part of an animal, or maybe a very small antelope, in addition to her normal meals. The kudu wasn't too huge, only about 400 pounds, but Nala was ecstatic about getting even that much. She ate it quickly and without much difficulty, aside from the difficulty of moving to get the last of the meat when she'd already eaten so much. The meal didn't quite immobilize her, but her rounded stomach was definitely dragging on the ground by the time she was done. Content despite not having eaten to her full potential, Nala drifted back to sleep.

Later, her mother woke her up for dinner. Sarafina must have noticed Nala's distended stomach, but didn't comment on it. She just gave her daughter the chunk of zebra meat that was the normal ration for a cub Nala's age, plus the extra leg she had grabbed for her. Nala ate both hunks of meat happily, with no complaints now that she'd gotten a real meal in earlier.