The Lion’s Busy 1950

Leo the Lion, now sporting a distinctive Irish accent, celebrates his tenth birthday by receiving a special birthday gift—a book. Interestingly, lions are known to rarely live beyond ten years, which prompts Leo to reflect on his own mortality. Little does he know, a clever and hungry Beaky Buzzard is behind the gift, having sent it himself in hopes of making Leo his next meal.

What ensues is a humorous and increasingly frantic series of attempts by Beaky to catch and devour Leo. The cartoon showcases Beaky’s devious plans, starting with a classic slapstick trick—making Leo slip off a cliff using a banana peel, intending to cause his downfall. Leo survives the fall but soon finds himself entangled in Beaky’s culinary schemes. Beaky, with mischievous glee, makes a burger out of Leo’s tail, tricking him into biting it and then jumping in pain, only to be caught in a roasting pan as Beaky prepares to cook him.

Despite the intense danger, Leo remains composed and wryly remarks that Beaky should wait until he’s truly dead before trying to eat him, since buzzards—like Beaky—typically feast on carrion that is already lifeless. Beaky refuses to listen, prompting Leo to try and defend himself with a club. However, Beaky is too quick, evading every swing and skillfully regrouping in a tree. Leo, eager to catch Beaky, attempts to climb after him, but Beaky smartly slicks the trunk with oil, causing Leo to slide down painfully and crash against the branches below, with Beaky mocking him, “You really oughta be more careful, Mr. Lion.”

Undeterred, Leo devises a more elaborate plan, using climbing hooks to scale the tree instead of just climbing. Beaky, thinking fast, adds additional tree trunks to extend the height, creating a ridiculously tall ascent for Leo. The lion continues climbing higher and higher, only to discover that Beaky has already flown down to the ground and begun chopping the tree down—while Leo is still perched at the top. Panicked, Leo pleads to stop, but Beaky, determined, cuts down the tree anyway, causing Leo to plummet to the ground in a dazed state.

After recovering, Leo quickly realizes Beaky’s current plan: cooking his tail, which Beaky has tied up to resemble sausage links. Frustrated and desperate, Leo attempts to escape by launching himself into space in a rocket, hoping to find safety on the Moon. But Beaky is waiting there as well, eager to make him his meal. Leo finds shelter in a cave on the Moon, where he barricades himself for years, living in constant paranoia of Beaky’s return.

The stress and fear eventually take a toll on Leo, now an elderly lion, who finally steps out of hiding to surrender himself to Beaky. However, much to Leo’s surprise, so many years have passed that Beaky, now also elderly, can no longer eat meat and instead has taken up marshmallow consumption. Beaky, with a friendly gesture, offers Leo a marshmallow, showing that their rivalry has mellowed with age.

This cartoon highlights the humorous and absurd lengths Beaky Buzzard will go for his meal, while Leo’s cleverness and resilience shine through amid the chaos. The story combines slapstick humor with a touch of wit, making it a timeless and amusing tale of predator and prey—turned unlikely companions by age and circumstance.