Jungle Book

Mowgli's Brothers

I T WAS seven o'clock of a very warm evening in
the Seeonee hills when Father W o l f woke up f r o m
his day's rest, scratched himself, yawned, and
spread out his paws one after the other to get rid
of the sleepy feeling in the tips. Mother W o l f
lay w i t h her big gray nose dropped across her four
tumbling, squealing cubs, and the moon shone into
the mouth of the cave where they all lived. " A u g r h ! "
said Father W o l f , " i t is time to hunt a g a i n " ; and
he was going to spring downhill when a little shadow
w i t h a bushy tail crossed the threshold and whined:
" G o o d luck go w i t h you, O Chief of the Wolves;
and good luck and strong white teeth go w i t h the

2 T H E JUNGLE BOOK

noble children, that they may never forget t l
hungry in this world."

I t was the jackal—Tabaqui, the Dish-licker-
and the wolves o f I n d i a despise T a b a q u i becaus
he runs about m a k i n g mischief, and t e l l i n g tales
and eating rags and pieces of leather f r o m the villag
rubbish-heaps. T h e y are afraid of h i m too, becaus
T a b a q u i , more than any one else in the jungle, i
apt t o go m a d , and then he forgets t h a t he was eve
afraid of any one, and runs through the fores
biting everything in his way. Even the tiger hide
when l i t t l e T a b a q u i goes mad, f o r madness is th,
most disgraceful thing that can o ertake' a wik
creature. We call i t hydrophobia, but they cal
It dewanee—the madness—and r u n .

"Enter, then, and look," said Father Wolf
stiffly; " b u t there is no food here."

" F o r a w o l f , n o , " said T a b a q m ; " b u t f o r so mear
a person as m y s e l f a d r y bone is a good feast. Whc
are we, the Gidur-log [the Jackal People], to pick
and choose.?" He scuttled to the back of the cave,
where he found the bone of a buck w i t h some meat
on i t , and sat cracking the end merrily.

" A l l thanks for this good meal," he said, lick--
ing his lips. " H o w beautiful are the noble chiU

MOWGLI'S BROTHERS 3

<Jren! H o w large are t h e i r eyes! A n d so y o u n g
too! Indeed, indeed, I might have remembered
t h a t the children of kings are men f r o m the be-
ginning." '

N o w , T a b a q u i k n e w as w e l l as any one else t h a t
there is n o t h i n g so u n l u c k y as t o c o m p l i m e n t c h i l -
dren t o t h e i r faces; and i t pleased h i m t o see M o t h e r
and Father Wolf look uncomfoi'table.

Tabaqui sat still, rejoicing i n the mischief that
he had made, and then he said spitefully:

"Shere K h a n , the Big One, has shifted his
hunting-grounds. He will hunt among these hills
d u r i n g the n e x t / p o o n , so he has t o l d m e . "

Shere K h a n was the tiger who lived near the
Waingunga River, twenty miles away.

" H e has no r i g h t ! " Father W o l f began angrily.
" B y the L a w of the Jungle he has no right to change
his quarters without fair warning. He will frighten
every head of game within ten miles; and I — I
have to kill for two, these days."

"His mother did not call him Lungri [the Lame
One] for nothing," said Mother Wolf, quietly.
" H e has been lame in one foot f r o m his b i r t h . T h a t
is w h y he has only killed cattle. N o w the villagers
of the Waingunga are angry w i t h h i m , and he has

4 T H E JUNGLE BOOK

come here t o make our villagers angry. T h e y w i l l
scour the jungle f o r h i m when he is f a r away, and
we and our children must r u n when the grass is
set alight. Indeed, we are very grateful to Shere
Khan!"

"Shall I tell him of your gratitude?" said Tabaqui.
" O u t ! " snapped Father Wolf. "Out, and hunt
w i t h t h y master. T h o u hast done harm enough
for one n i g h t . "
" I go," said Tabaqui, quietly. " Y e can hear
Shere K h a n below i n the thickets. I might have
saved myself the message."
Father W o l f Hstened, and in the dark valley
t h a t ran down to a l i t t l e river, he heard the dry,
angry, snarly, singsong whine of a tiger who has
caught n o t h i n g and does not care i f all the jungle
knows it.
" T h e f o o l ! " said Father Wolf. " T o begin a
night's work w i t h that noise! Does he think that
our buck are like his fat Waingunga bullocks?"
" H ' s h ! I t is neither bullock nor buck that lie
hunts t o - n i g h t , " said M o t h e r W o l f ; " i t is M a n . "
The whine had changed to a sort of humming purr
that seemed to roll f r o m every quarter of the compass.
I t was the noise that bewilders wood-cutters, and



MOWGLI'S BROTHERS 7

gipsies sleeping in the open, and makes them run
sometimes into the very mouth of the tiger.

" M a n ! " - s a i d Father Wolf, showing all his white
teeth. "Faugh! Are there not enough beetles
and frogs i n the tanks t h a t he must eat M a n —
and on our ground too!"

The Law of the Jungle, which never orders any-
thing without a reason, forbids every beast to eat
M a n except when he is killing to show his children
how to kill, and then he must hunt outside the
hunting-grounds of his pack or tribe. The real
reason for this is t h a t man-killing means, sooner
or later, the arrival of white men on elephants, with
guns, and hundreds of brown men w i t h gongs and
rockets and torches. Then everybody in the jungle
suffers. The reason the beasts give among them-
selves is t h a t M a n is the weakest and most defense-
less o f all l i v i n g things, and i t is unsportsmanUke t o
touch h i m . T h e y say too—and i t is t r u e — t h a t
man-eaters become mangy, and lose their teeth.

The purr grew louder, and ended in the full-
throated " A a a r h ! " of the tiger's charge.

Then there was a howl—an untigerish howl
— f r o m Shere K h a n . " H e has missed," said M o t h e r
Wolf. " W h a t is i t ? "

8 T H E JUNGLE BOOK

Father W o l f ran out a few paces and heard Shere
K h a n m u t t e r i n g and m u m b U n g savagely, as he
tumbled about in the scrub.

" T h e f o o l has had no more sense t h a n t o j u m p
at a w o o d - c u t t e r s ' camp-fire, so he has burned his
feet," said Father Wolf, with a grunt. "Tabaqui
is w i t h h i m . "

"Something is coming uphill," said M o t h e r Wolf,
twitching one ear. " G e t ready."

The bushes rustled a little in the thicket, and
Father Wolf dropped with his haunches under him,
ready for his leap. Then, i f you had been watching,
y o u would have seen the most w o n d e r f u l t h i n g i n
the world—the wolf checked in mid-spring. He
made his bound before he saw what i t was he was
j u m p i n g at, and then he tried to stop himself. T h e
result was that he shot up straight into the air for
f o u r or five feet, landing almost where he left
ground.

" M a n ! " he snapped. " A man's cub. L o o k ! "
Directly in front of him, holding on by a low
branch, stood a naked brown baby who could just
w a l k — a s s o f t and as d i m p l e d a l i t t l e t h i n g as ever
came to a wolf's cave at night. He looked up into
Father Wolf's face and laughed.

MOWGLI'S BROTHERS g

" I s that a man's cub?" said Mother Wolf. " I
have never seen one. B r i n g i t here."

A wolf accustomed to moving his own cubs can,
if necessary, mouth an egg without breaking i t ,
and though Father Wolf's jaws closed right on the
child's back n o t a t o o t h even scratched the skin, as
he laid i t down among the cubs.

" H o w Httie! How naked, and—how bold!"
said Mother Wolf, softly. The baby was pushing
his w a y between the cubs to get close to the w a r m
hide. " A h a i ! He is t a k i n g his meal w i t h the
others. A n d so t h i s is a man's cub. N o w was
there ever a wolf that could boast of a man's cub
among her children?"

" I have heard now and again of such a thing,
but never in our pack or in m y time," said Father
W o l f . ' ' H e is altogether w i t h o u t hair, and I could
k i l l h i m w i t h a t o u c h o f m y f o o t . B u t see, he
looks up and is not a f r a i d . "

The moonlight was blocked out of the mouth
of the cave, for Shere Khan's great square head
and shoulders were thrust into the entrance,
Tabaqui, behind him, was squeaking: " M y Lord,
my Lord, it went in here!"

"Shere K h a n does us great honour," said Father

IO T H E J U N G L E B O O K

Wolf, but his eyes were very angry. " W h a t does
Shere K h a n need.?"

" M y quarry. A man's cub went this way,"
said Shere K h a n . " I t s parents have run off.
Give it to me."

Shere K h a n had jumped at a wood-cutter's
camp-fire, as Father W o l f had said, and was f u r i o u s
from the pain of his burned feet. But Father Wolf
knew that the mouth of the cave was too narrow
for a tiger to come in by. Even where he was,
Shere Khan's shoulders and fore paws were cramped
f o r w a n t o f r o o m , as a man's w o u l d be i f he t r i e d
to fight in a barrel.

" T h e Wolves are a free people," said Father
Wolf. " T h e y take orders from the Head of the
Pack, and not from any striped cattle-killer. The
man's cub is ours—to k i l l i f we choose."

" Y e choose and ye do not choose! W h a t talk
is this of choosing.? B y the B u l l t h a t I killed, am
I to stand nosing into your dog's den for my fair
dues? I t is I , Shere K h a n , who speak!"

The tiger's roar filled the cave with thunder.
Mother W o l f shook herself clear of the cubs and
sprang forward, her eyes, like t w o green moons i n
the darkness, facing the blazing eyes of Shere K h a n .

" T H E TI

IGER'S ROAR FILLED T H E CAVE WITH THUNDER.'

MOWGLI'S BROTHERS 13

" A n d i t is I , Ralcsha [the Demon], who answer.
T h e man's cub is mine, Lungri—mine to me! He
shall not be killed. H e shall live to r u n w i t h the Pack
and to hunt with the Pack; and in the end, look you,
h u n t e r of l i t t l e naked cubs—frog-eater—fish-killer, he
shall h u n t thee! N o w get hence, or by the Sambhur
that I killed ( / eat no starved cattle), back thou
goest to t h y mother, burned beast of the jungle,
lamer than ever thou camest into the world! G o ! "

Father Wolf looked on amazed. He had almost
forgotten the days when he won Mother W o l f i n
fair fight f r o m five other wolves, v.Len she ran i n t h e
Pack and was not called the Demon for compliment's
sake. Shere K h a n might have faced Father W o l f ,
but he could not stand up against Mother W o l f ,
f o r he k n e w t h a t where he was she had all the ad-
vantage of the g r o u n d , and w o u l d fight t o the d e a t h .
So he backed out of the cave-mouth g r o w l i n g , and
when he was clear he shouted:

" E a c h dog barks m his o w n y a r d ! W e w i l l see
what the Pack will say to this fostering of man-cubs.
The cub is mine, and to m y teeth he w i l l come in the
end, O bush-tailed thieves!"

Mother Wolf threw herself down panting among
the cubs, and Father W o l f said to her gravely;

14 T H E J U N G L E B O O K

"Shere K h a n speaks this much t r u t h . The
cub must be shown t o the Pack. W i l t t h o u still
keep hirn, Mother.?"

" K e e p h i m ! " she gasped. " H e came naked, by
night, alone and very hungry; yet he was not afraid!
L o o k , he has pushed one of m y babes t o one side
already. And that lame butcher would have killed
him, and would have run off to the Waingunga while
the villagers here hunted through all our lairs in
revenge! Keep him.? Assuredly I w i l l keep h i m .
Lie still, Httie frog. O thou Mowgli,—for MowgH,
the Frog, I will call thee,—the time will come when
t h o u w i l t h u n t Shere K h a n as he has h u n t e d t h e e ! "

" B u t what w i n our Pack say.?" said Father Wolf.
The Law of the Jungle lays down very clearly
t h a t any wolf may, when he marries, w i t h d r a w f r o m
t h e Pack he belongs t o ; b u t as soon as his cubs are
old enough to stand on their feet he must bring t h e m
t o the Pack Council, which is generally held once a
month at full moon, in order that the other wolves
may identify them. A f t e r that inspection the cubs
are free to run where they please, and until they
have k i l l e d t h e i r first b u c k no excuse is accepted i f
a grown wolf of the Pack kills one of them. T h e
p u n i s h m e n t is death where the murderer can be

MOWGLI'S BROTHERS 15

f o u n d ; and i f y o u t h i n k f o r a m i n u t e y o u w i l l see.
t h a t this must be so.

Father Wolf waited till his cubs could run a little,
and then on the night of the Pack Meeting took
them and Mowgh and Mother Wolf to the Council
Rock—a hilltop covered w i t h stones and boulders
where a hundred wolves could hide. Akela, the
great gray Lone Wolf, who led all the Pack by
strength and cunning, lay out at full length on his
rock, and below h i m sat f o r t y or more wolves of every
size and colour, f r o m badger-coloured veterans w h o
could handle a buck alone, to young black three-
year-olds who thought they could. The Lone Wolf
had led them for a year now. He had fallen twice
into a w o l f - t r a p i n his y o u t h , and once he had been
beaten and l e f t f o r dead; so he k n e w the manners
and customs of men.

There was very little talking at the Rock. The
cubs tumbled over one another i n the center of the
circle where their mothers and fathers sat, and now
and again a senior wolf would go quietly up to a cub,
look at h i m carefully, and return to his place on
noiseless feet. Sometimes a mother would push
her cub f a r out i n t o t h e moonUght, t o be sure t h a t he
had not been overlooked, Akela from his rock

I

i6 T H E J U N G L E BOOK

would cry: "Ye know the Law—ye know the Lawi
Look well, O Wolves!" A n d the anxious mothers
would take up the call: "Look—look well, O
Wolves!"

A t last—and Mother Wolf's neck-bristles hfted
as t h e t i m e came—Father W o l f pushed " M o w g l i ,
t h e F r o g , " as t h e y called h i m , m t o t h e center,
where he sat laughing and playing w i t h some pebbles
that ghstened in the moonlight.

Akela never raised his head from his paws, but
went on with the monotonous cry, "Look well!"
A muffled roar came up from behind the rocks—
the voice of Shere K h a n crying, " T h e cub is mine;
give h i m to me. What have the Free People to do
with a man's cub.?"

Akela never even twitched his ears. A l l he said
was, " L o o k well, O Wolves! What have the Free
People to do w i t h the orders of any save the Free
People? Look w e l l ! "

There was a chorus of deep growls, and a young
w o l f i n his f o u r t h year flung back Shere K h a n ' s
question to Akela: " W h a t have the Free People to
do with a man's cub?"

N o w the Law of the Jungle lays down that i f there
is any dispute as t o t h e I'ight o f a cub t o be accepted



MOWGLI'S BROTHERS 19

by the Pack, he must be spoken for by at least t w o
members of the Pack who are not his father and

mother.
" W h o speaks for this cub ?" said Akela. " A m o n g

the Free People, who speaks.?" There was no answer,
and M o t h e r W o l f got ready for w h a t she knew w o u l d
be her last fight, i f things came to fighting.

T h e n the only other creature who is allowed at
the Pack Council—Baloo, the sleepy brown bear
who teaches the wolf cubs the L a w of the Jungle,
old Baloo—who can come and go where he pleases
because he eats only nuts and roots and h o n e y -
rose up on his h i n d quarters and grunted.

" T h e man's cub—the man's cub.?" he said. " /
speak for the man's cub. There is no harm i n a
man's cub. I have no gift of words, but I speak the
t r u t h . L e t h i m r u n w i t h the Pack, and be entered
with the others. I myself will teach h i m . "

" W e need yet another," said Akela. " B a l o o has
spoken, and he is our teacher for the young cubs.
W h o speaks besides Baloo?"

A black shadow dropped down into the circle.
I t was Bagheera, the Black Panther, inky black
all over, but with the panther markings showing up
in certain lights hke the pattern of watered silk.

lo T H E JUNGLE BOOK
Everybody knew Bagheera, and nobody cared to
cross his p a t h ; f o r he was as cunnng as T a b a q u i ,
as bold as the w i l d b u f f a l o , and as reckless as the
w o u n d e d elephant. B u t he had a voice as soft as
wild honey dripping from a tree, and a skin softer
than down.

" O Akela, and ye, the Free People," he purred,
" I have no right in your assembly; but the Law of
the Jungle says t h a t i f there is a doubt which is not
a kilUng matter in regard to a new cub, the life of
that cub may be bought at a price. A n d the L a w
does not say w h o m a y or may not pay t h a t price.
Am I right?"

" G o o d ! good!" said the young wolves, who are
always hungry. "Listen to Bagheera. The cub
can be bought for a price. I t is the L a w . "

" K n o w i n g that I have no right to speak here,

I ask your leave."
"Speak then," cried twenty voices.
" T o k i l l a naked cub is shame. Besides, he may

make better sport for y o u when he is grown. Baloo
has spoken i n his behalf. N o w to Baloo's word I
w i l l add one bull, and a fat one, newly killed, not
half a mile f r o m here, i f ye will accept the man's cub
according to the Law. Is it difficult?"

MOWGLI'S BROTHERS ai

There was a clamour of scores of voices, saying:
" W h a t matter? He will die in the winter rains.
He will scorch i n the sun. What harm can a naked
f r o g do us ? L e t h i m r u n w i t h the Pack. Where is
the b u l l , Bagheera? L e t h i m be accepted," A n d
then came Akela's deep bay, crying: " L o o k w e l l -
look well, O Wolves!"
Mowgli was still playing w i t h the pebbles, and he
did not notice when the wolves came and looked
at h i m one by one. A t last they all went down the
hill for the dead bull, and only Akela, Bagheera,
Baloo, and Mowgh's own wolves were left. Shere
K h a n roared still in the night, for he was v^ry
angry that Mowgh had not been handed over to him.
" A y , roar well," said Bagheera, under his whisk-
ers; " f o r the time ccmes when this naked thing will
make thee roar to another tune, or I know nothing
of M a n . "

" I t was well done," said Akela. " M e n and their
cubs are very wise. H e m a y be a help in t i m e . "

" T r u l y , a help in time of need; for none can hope
to lead the Pack forever," said Bagheera.

Akela said nothing. He was thinking of the time
that comes to every leader of every pack when his
strength goes f r o m h i m and he gets feebler and

22 T H E J U N G L E B O O K

feebler, t i l l at last he is killed by the wolves and a
new leader comes u p — t o be killed,in his t u r n .

" T a k e h i m away," he said to Father Wolf, " a n d
t r a i n h i m as befits one o f the Free People."

A n d t h a t is how M o w g l i was entered into the
Seeonee wolf-pack f o r the price of a bull and on
Baloo's good word.

N o w y o u m.ust be content t o skip ten or eleven
whole years, and only guess at all the w o n d e r f u l
hfe t h a t MowgH led among the wolves, because i f
i t were w r i t t e n out i t w o u l d fill ever so m a n y books.
He grew up w i t h the cubs, though they of course
were grown wolves almost befoi'e he was a child, and
Father W o l f taught h i m his business, and the
meaning of things in the jungle, till every rustle
in the grass, every breath of the warm night air,
every note of the owls above his head, every scratch
of a bat's claws as i t roosted f o r a while i n a tree, and
every splash o f every l i t t l e fish j u m p i n g i n a pool,
meant j u s t as m u c h t o h i m as the w o r k o f his office
means to a business man. When he was not learn-
ing he sat out in the sun and slept, and ate, and went
to sleep again; when he felt d i r t y or hot he swam
in the forest pools; and when he wanted honey

(Baloo t o l d him, t h a t honey and .nuts were j u s t as



MOWGLI'S BROTHERS 25

pleasant t o eat as r a w meat) he climbed up f o r i t ,
and that Bagheera showed him how to do.

Bagheera would lie out on a branch and call,
" C o m e along, L i t t l e B r o t h e r , " and at first M o w g h
would chng like the sloth, but afterward he would
fling himself t h r o u g h the branches almost as b o l d l y
as the g r a y ape. H e t o o k his place at the C o u n c i l
Rock, too, when the Pack met, and there he dis-
covered that i f he stared hard at any wolf, the wolf
w o u l d be forced t o drop his eyes, and so he used t o
stare for fun.

A t other times he w o u l d pick the long thorns
out of the pads of his friends, for wolves suffer
terribly from thorns and burs in their coats. H e
would go down the hillside into the cultivated
lands by night, and look very curiously at the
villagers i n their huts, but he had a mistrust o f men
because Bagheera showed h i m a square box w i t h
a drop-gate so c u n n i n g l y h i d d e n i n t h e j u n g l e t h a t
he nearly walked into i t , and told h i m i t was a trap.

H e loved better t h a n a n y t h i n g else to go w i t h
Bagheera into the dark warm heart of the forest,
t o sleep all through the drowsy day, and at night
see h o w Bagheera d i d his k i l l i n g . Bagheera k i l l e d
r i g h t and l e f t as he f e l t h u n g r y , and so d i d M o w g l i — •

26 T H E J U N G L E B O O K

w i t h one exception. A s soon as he was o l d enough
t o understand things, Bagheera told h i m t h a t he
must never touch cattle because he had been bought
into the Pack at the price of a buU's hfe. " A l l the
jungle is t h i n e , " said Bagheera, " a n d t h o u canst
kill everything that thou art strong enough to kill;
but for the sake of the bull that bought thee thou
must never kill or eat any cattle young or old.
T h a t is the L a w of the Jungle." M o w g h obeyed
faithfully.

A n d he grew and grew strong as a b o y must g r o w
who does not k n o w t h a t he is learning any lessons,
and who has n o t h i n g i n the world to t h i n k of except
things to eat.

M o t h e r W o l f t o l d him_ once or t w i c e t h a t Shere
K h a n was not a creature to be trusted, and t h a t some
day he must kill Shere K h a n ; but though a young
wolf would have remembered that advice every
hour, M o w g l i forgot i t because he was only a boy—
though he would have called himself a w o l f i f he
had been able to speak in any human tongue.

Shere K h a n was always crossing his path i n the
j u n g l e , f o r as A k e l a grew older and feebler t h e
lame tiger had come t o be great friends w i t h the
younger wolves of the Pack, who followed him for

MOWGLI'S BROTHERS 27

scraps, a thing Akela would never have allowed if
he had dared t o push his authority to the proper
bounds. Then Shere K h a n would flatter them and
w o n d e r t h a t such fine y o u n g hunters were c o n t e n t
to be led b y a dying w o l f and a man's cub. " T h e y
tell me," Shere K h a n would say, " t h a t at Council
ye dare n o t l o o k h i m between the e y e s " ; znd the
young wolves would growl and bristle.

Bagheera, who had eyes and ears everywhere,
knew something of this, and once or twice he told
M o w g h i n so m a n y w o r d s t h a t Shere K h a n w o u l d
kiU h i m some day; and M o w g h would laugh and
answer: " I have the Pack and I have thee; and
Baloo, t h o u g h he is so lazy, m i g h t strike a b l o w
or t w o f o r m y sake. W h y should I be a f r a i d ? "

I t was one very w a r m day that a new notion came
to Bagheera—born of something that he had heard.
Perhaps I k k i , the Porcupine, had told h i m ; but he
said to M o w g l i when they were deep in the jungle,
as the b o y l a y w i t h his head c n Baghcera's b e a u t i f u l
black skin: " L i t t l e Brother, how often have I
t o l d thee t h a t Shere K h a n is t h y enemy?"

" A s m a n y times as there are n u t s on t h a t p a l m , "
said Mowgh, who, naturally, could not count.
" W h a t of it? I am sleepy, Bagheera, and Shere

28 T H E J U N G L E B O O K

K h a n is all long t a i l and loud talk, Hke M a o , the
Peacock."

" B u t this is no t i m e for sleeping. Baloo knows
it, I know it, the Pack know it, and even the foolish,
foohsh deer know. T a b a q u i has told thee t o o . "

" H o ! ho!" said MowgH. "Tabaqui came to
me not long ago w i t h some rude t a l k t h a t I was
a n a k e d man's cub, and n o t fit t o d i g p i g - n u t s ; b u t
I caught Tabaqui by the tail and swung him twice
against a palm-tree to teach him better manners."

" T h a t was fooHshness; for though T a b a q u i is a
mischief-maker, he w o u l d have told thee of something
that concerned thee closely. Open those eyes,
L i t t l e Brother! Shere K h a n dares not kill thee i n
the jungle for fear of those that love thee; but
remember, Akela is very old, and soon the day comes
when he cannot kill his buck, and then he wiU be
leader no more. M a n y of the wolves that looked
thee over when thou wast brought to the Council
first are o l d too, and t h e y o u n g wolves beheve, as
Shere K h a n has taught them, that a man-cub has
no place with the Pack. I n a little time thou w i l t
be a m a n . "

" A n d w h a t is a man t h a t he should not run w i t h
his brothers?" said MowgH. " I was born in the

MOWGLI'S BROTHERS 29

jungle; I have obeyed the Law of the Jungle; and
there is no wolf of ours f r o m whose paws I have not
pulled a t h o r n . Surely they are m y brothers!"

Bagheera stretched himself at full length and
half shut his eyes. " L i t t l e Brother," said he,
"feel under my jaw."

MowgH put up his strong brown hand, and just
under Bagheera's silky chin, where the giant rolling
muscles were all hid b y the glossy hair, he came
upon a little bald spot.

" T h e r e is no one i n the jungle that knows t h a t
I , Bagheera, carry that mark—the mark of the
coUar; and yet. Little Brother, I was born among
men, and it was among men that my mother died—
in the cages of the Kmg's Palace at Oodeypore. I t
was because of this that I paid the price for thee at
the Council when thou wast a little naked cub.
Yes, I too was born among men. I had never seen
the jungle. They fed me behind bars from an iron
pan t i l l one night I felt that I was Bagheera, the
Panther, and no man's plaything, and I broke the
silly lock w i t h one blow of m y paw, and came away;
and because I had learned the ways of men, I became
more terrible in the jungle than Shere K h a n . Is
it not so?"

30 T H E J U N G L E B O O K

"Yes," said M o w g l i ; " a l l the jungle fear Bagheera
—all except Mowgli."

" O h , thou art a man's c u b , " said the B l a c k P a n -
t h e r , v e r y t e n d e r l y ; " a n d even as I returned t o m y
j u n g l e , so t h o u m u s t go back t o men at last,—to
the men who are t h y brothers,^—if thou art not
killed in the Council."

" B u t why—but why should any wish to kit!
me?" said Mowgh.

" L o o k at me," said Bagheera; and M o w g h looked
at h i m steadily between the eyes. The big panther
turned his head away in half a minute.

" That is w h y , " he said, s h i f t i n g his paw on t h e
leaves. " N o t even I can look thee between the
eyes, and I was born among men, and I love thee,
L i t t l e Brother. The others they hate thee because
their eyes cannot meet thine, because t h o u art wise;
because t h o u has^ pulled out thorns f r o m their
feet—because thou art a man."

" I did r o t know these things," said Mowgli,
sullenly; and he frowned under his heavy black
eyebrows.

" W h a t is the L a w o f the Jungle? Strike first
and then give tongue. B y t h y very carelessness
they know that thou art a man. B u t be wise.

MOWGLI'S BROTHERS 31

I t is i n m y heart t h a t w h e n A k e l a misses his next
kill,—and at each hunt i t costs h i m more to pin the
buck,—the Pack will turn against him and against
thee. They will held a jungle Council at the Rock,
and then—and then. . . . I have i t ! " said
Bagheera, leaping up. "Go thou down quickly to
the men's huts i n the valley, and take some o f the
R e d F l o w e r w h i c h t h e y g r o w there, so t h a t w h e n t h e
time comes thou mayest have even a stronger friend
than I or Baloo or those of the Pack that love thee.
Get the Red Flower."

B y Red F l o w e r Bagheera meant fire, o n l y no
creature i n the j u n g l e w i l l call fire b y its proper
name. Every beast lives in deadly fear of i t , and
invents a hundred ways of describing it.

" T h e Red Flower.?" said Mowgh. " T h a t grows
outside their huts in the twilight. I will get some."

"There speaks the man's cub," said Bagheera,
proudly. "Remember that it grows in little pots.
Get one swiftly, and keep it by thee for time of need."

" G o o d ! " said Mowgli. " I go. But art thou
sure, 0 m y Bagheera"—he slipped his arm round
the splendid neck, and looked deep into the big

e y e s — " a r t thou sure t h a t all this is Shere Khan'?

doing.?"

32 T H E J U N G L E B O O K

" B y the Broken Lock that freed me, I am sure,
Little Brother."

"Then, by the Bull that bought me, I will pay
Shere K h a n f u l l tale for this, and i t may be a little
over," said M o w g l i ; and he bounded away.

" T h a t is a man. T h a t is all a m a n , " said Bag-
heera to himself, lying down again. " O h , Shere
Khan, never was a blacker hunting than that frog-
hunt of thine ten years ago!"

Mowgli was far and far through the forest, run-
ning hard, and his heart was hot in him. He came
t o t h e cave as t h e evening m i s t rose, and drew breath,
and looked d o w n t h e v a l l e y . T h e cub,s were o u t ,
but Mother Wolf, at the back of the cave, knew by'
his breathing that something was troubhng her frog,

" W h a t is i t , Son?" she said,
"Some bat's chatter of Shere K h a n , " he called
back. " I h u n t among the ploughed fields t o - n i g h t " ;
and he plunged downward through the bushes,
to the stream at the bottom of the valley. There
he checked, for he heard the yell of the Pack hunt
ing, heard the bellow of a hunted Sambhur, and
t h e snort as the b u c k t u r n e d at bay. T h e n there
were wicked, bitter howls from the young wolves:
" A k e l a ! Akela! Let the Lone Wolf show his

MOWGLI'S BROTHERS 33

strength. Room for the leader of our Pack! Spring,
Akela!"

The Lone W o l f must have sprung and missed his
hold, for Mowgh heard the snap of his teeth and then
a y e l p as the Sambhur knocked h i m over w i t h his
fore foot.

He did not wait for anything more, but dashed
o n ; and the yells grew f a i n t e r behind h i m as he
ran into the crop-lands where the villagers Hved.

" B a g h e e r a spoke t r u t h , " he panted, as he
nestled down in some cattle-fodder by the window
of a hut. " T o - m o r r o w is one day for Akela and
for me."

T h e n he pressed his face close to the w i n d o w and
watched the fire on t h e hearth. H e saw t h e
husbandman's wife get up and feed it in the night
with black lumps; and when the morning came and
the mists were all white and cold, he saw the man's
child pick up a wicker pot plastered inside w i t h
e a r t h , fill i t w i t h lumps o f red-hot charcoal, p u t i t
under his blanket, and go out t o tend the cows i n
the byre.

" I s that all?" said MowgH. " I f a cub can do i t ,
there is n o t h i n g t o f e a r " ; so he strode around the
corner and met the boy, took the pot from his hand

34 T H E J U N G L E B O O K

and disappeared into the mist while the boy howled
with fear.

" T h e y are very hke me," said M o w g h , blowing
m t o the pot, as he had seen the w o m a n do. " T h i s
thing will die i f I do not give i t things to eat";
and he dropped twigs and dried bark on the red
stuff. Half-way up the hill he met Bagheera with
the morning dew shining like moonstones on his
coat.

" A k e l a has missed," said the panther. " T h e y
would have killed h i m last night, but they needed
thee also. T h e y were looking for thee on the h i l l . "

" I was among the ploughed lands. I ^m ready.
Look!" Mowgh held up the fire-pot.

" G o o d ! N o w , I have seen men t h r u s t a d r y
branch into that stuff, and presently the Red Flower
blossomed at the end of it. A r t thou not afraid.?"

" N o . W h y should I fear? I remember— now
i f i t is not a dream—how, before I was a wolf, I lay
beside the Red Flower, and it was warm and
pleasant."

A l l that day M o w g l i sat i n the cave tending his
fire-pot and d i p p i n g d r y branches i n t o i t t o see h o w
they looked. He found a branch that satisfied him,
and in the evening when Tabaqui came to the cave

MOWGLI'S BROTHERS 35

and told h i m , rudely enough, that he was wanted
at the Council Rock, he laughed t i l l Tabaqui ran
away. Then Mowgli went to the Council, still
laughing.

A k e l a t h e L o n e W o l f l a y b y t h e side o f his rock as
a sign that the leadership of the Pack was open, and
Shere K h a n w i t h his fc l l o w i n g o f scrap-fed wolves
walked t o and f r o openly, being flattered. Bagheera
l a y close t o M o w g l i , aud the fire-pot was between
Mowgli's knees. W h e n they were all gathered
together, Shere K h a n began t o speak—a t h i n g he
would never have dared to do when Akela was i n his'
prime.

" H e has no right," whispered Bagheera. "Say
so. He is a dog's son. He w i l l be f r i g h t e n e d . "

M o w g h sprang t o his feet. "Free People," he
cried, "does Shere K h a n lead the Pack? W h a t has a
tiger to do w i t h our leadership?"

"Seeing that the leadership is yet open, and
being asked to speak"—Shere K h a n began.

" B y w h o m . ? " said M o w g h . " A r e we all jackals,
to fawn on this cattle-butcher? The leadership
of the Pack is w i t h the Pack alone."

There were yells of "Silence, thou man's cub!"
" L e t h i m speak; he has kept our l a w ! " A n d at

36 T H E J U N G L E B O O K

last the seniors of the Pack thundered: " L e t the
Dead Wolf speak!"

W h e n a leader of the Pack has missed his k i l l , he
is called t h e D e a d W o l f as l o n g as he lives, w h i c h
is n o t long, as a rule.

Akela raised his old head wearily:
"Free people, and ye too, jackals of Shere K h a n ,
f o r t w e l v e seasons I have led ye t o and f r o m the
kill, and i n all t h a t time not one has been trapped
or maimed. N o w I have missed my kill. Ye know
how that plot was made. Y e know how ye brought
me up to an untried buck to make m y weakness
k n o w n . I t was cleverly done. Y o u r right is t o
kill me here on the Council Rock now. Therefore
I ask, ' W h o comes t o make an end of the L o n e W o l f ?'
For i t is m y right, by the L a w of the Jungle, that ye
come one by one."

There was a long hush, for no single wolf cared
t o fight A k e l a t o t h e death. T h e n Shere K h a n
roared: " B a h ! W h a t have we to do w i t h this
toothless fool? H e is doomed t o die! I t is the
man-cub who has lived too long. Free People,
he was m y meat f r o m t h e first. G i v e h i m t o me.
I am weary of this man-wolf folly. He has troubled
the jungle f o r ten seasons. Give me the man-cub.

MOWGLI'S BROTHERS 37

or I will hunt here always, and not give you one
bone! He is a man—a man's child, and f r o m the
marrow of m y bones I hate h i m ! "

Then more than half the Pack yelled: " A man—
a m a n ! W h a t has a m a n t o do w i t h us? L e t h i m
go to his own place."

" A n d turn all the people of the villages against
us?" snarled Shere K h a n . " N o ; give h i m to me.
He is a m a n , and none of us can look h i m between
the eyes."

Akela hfted his head again, and said: " H e has
saten our food; he has slept w i t h us; he has driven
game f o r us; he has broken no word of the L a w
of the Jungle."

"Also, I paid for h i m w i t h a bull when he was
accepted. T h e w o r t h of a bull is little, but Bag-
heera's honour is something t h a t he w i l l perhaps
fight f o r , " said Bagheera i n his gentlest voice.

" A bull paid ten years ago!" the Pack snarled.
" W h a t do we care for bones ten years o l d ? "

" O r for a pledge?" said Bagheera, his white teeth
bared under his Hp. " W e l l are ye called the Free
People!"

" N o man's cub can run w i t h the people of the
jungle!" roared Shere K h a n . " G i v e him to me."

38 T H E J U N G L E B O O K

" H e is our brotlier i n all b u t blood," Akela went
on; "and ye would kill him here. I n t r u t h , I have
hved too long. Some of ye are eaters of cattle, and
of others I have heard that, under Shere Khan's
teaching, ye go b y dark night and snatch children
from the villager's doorstep. Therefore I know ye
t o be cowards, and i t is to cowards I speak. I t is
certain t h a t I must die, and m y life is of no w o r t h
or I would offer that i n the man-cub's place. But
for the sake of the H o n o u r of the Pack,—a little
matter that, by being without a leader, ye have for-
gotten,—I promise t h a t i f ye let the man-cub go
to his own place, I will not, when m y time comes to
die, bare one tooth against ye. I will die without
fighting. T h a t w i l l at least save the Pack three
lives. M o r e I cannot do; but, i f ye w i l l , I can save
ye the shame that comes of killing a brother against
w h o m there is no f a u l t — a brother spoken for and
bought into the Pack according to the Law of the
Jungle."

" H e is a man—a man—a m a n ! " snarled the Pack;
and most of the wolves began t o gather round Shere
Khan, whose tail was beginning to switch.

" N o w the business is i n t h y hands," said Bag-
heera t o M o w g h . "We can do no more except f i g h t . "

MOWGLI'S BROTHERS 39

M o w g l i stood u p r i g h t — t h e fire-pot i n his hands.
Then he stretched out his arms, and yawned in
the face of the Council; but he was furious w i t h rage
and sorrow, for, wolf-like, the wolves had never
told him how they hated him.

" L i s t e n , y o u ! " he cried. "There is no need for
t h i s dog's jabber. Y e have t o l d me so o f t e n t o - n i g h t
that I am a man (though indeed I would have been
a wolf w i t h you to my hfe's end) that I feel your
w o r d s are t r u e . So I do n o t call ye m y brothers
any more, b u t sag [dogs], as a m a n should. W h a t
ye w i l l do, and w h a t ye w i l l not do, is not yours to
say. T h a t m a t t e r is w i t h vu; and t h a t we m a y see
the matter more plainly, I , the man, have brought
here a httie of the Red Flower which ye, dogs, fear."

H e flung the fire-pot on the ground, and some o f
the red coals l i t a t u f t o f dried moss t h a t flared up
as aU t h e C o u n c i l drew back i n t e r r o r before the
leaping flames.

M o w g h t h r u s t his dead branch i n t o the fire t i l l
the twigs lit and crackled, and whirled it above his
head among the cowering wolves.

" T h o u art the master," said Bagheera, i n an
undertone. "Save Akela from the death. He was
ever thy friend."

40 T H E J U N G L E B O O K

Akela, the grim old wolf who had never asked
for mercy i n his life, gave one piteous look at M o w -
g l i as t h e b o y stood a l l naked, his long b l a c k h a i r
tossing over his shoulders in the Hght of the blazing
branch that made the shadows jump and quiver.

" G o o d ! " said Mowgli, staring around slowly, and
t h r u s t i n g o u t his lower l i p . " I see t h a t ye are dogs.
I go f r o m y o u t o m y o w n people—if t h e y be m y
own people. The jungle is shut t o me, and I must
forget your talk and your companionship; but I
w i l l be more merciful than ye are. Because I
was all but your brother in blood, I promise that
when I am a man among men I will not betray ye
t o men as ye have betrayed m e . " H e kicked t h e
fire w i t h his f o o t , and t h e sparks flew up. " T h e r e
shall be no w a r between any o f us and the Pack.
B u t here is a debt t o pay before I go." He strode
forward to where Shere K h a n sat blinking stupidly
at t h e flames, and caught h i m b y t h e t u f t on his
c h i n . Bagheera followed close, i n case o f accidents.
" U p , dog!" Mowgli cried. " U p , when a man
speaks, or I w i l l set t h a t coat ablaze!"

Shere K h a n ' s ears l a y flat back on his head, and
he shut his eyes, for the blazing branch was very near.

" T h i s cattle-killer said he would k i l l me i n the

MOWGLI'S BROTHERS 41

Council because he had not killed me when I was
a cub. Thus and thus, then, do we beat dogs
when we are men! Stir a whisker, Lungri, and
I ram the Red Flower down thy gullet!" He
beat Shere K h a n over the head w i t h the branch,
and the tiger whimpered and whined in an agony of
fear.

" P a h ! Singed jungle-cat—go now! But remem-
ber w h e n next I come t o t h e C o u n c i l Rock, as a m a n
should come, i t w i l l be w i t h Shere Khan's hide on
m y head. F o r t h e rest, Akela goes free t o live as
he pleases. Y e w i l l not k i l l h i m , because t h a t is
not m y will. N o r do I think that ye will sit here
any longer, lolhng o u t y o u r tongues as t h o u g h ye
were somebodies, instead of dogs whom I drive out—
thus! Go!"

T h e fire was b u r n i n g f u r i o u s l y at the end o f t h e
branch, and Mowgli struck right and left round the
circle, and the wolves ran howhng with the sparks
burning their fur. A t last there were only Akela,
Bagheera, and perhaps ten wolves that had taken
Mowgh's part. Then something began to hurt
M o w g l i inside h i m , as he had never been h u r t i n
his life before, and he caught his breath and sobbed,
a i d the tears ran down his face.

42 T H E J U N G L E 3 0 0 K

" W h a t is it? W h a t is i t ? " he said. " I do
not wish to leave the jungle, and I do not know what
this is. , A m I dying, Bagheera?"

" N o , L i t t l e Brother. Those are only tears such
as men use," said Bagheera. " N o w I k n o w t h o u
art a man, and a man's cub no longer. The jungle
is shut indeed t o thee henceforward. L e t t h e m
f a l l , M o w g h ; t h e y are o n l y tears." So M o w g h
sat and cried as t h o u g h his heart w o u l d break; and
he had never cried in all his life before.

" N o w , " he said, " I wiU go to men. B u t first I
must say farewell to m y m o t h e r " ; and he went to the
cave where she hved w i t h Father W o l f , and he cried
on her coat, while the four cubs howled miserably.

" Y e will not forget me?" said Mowgh.
"Never while we can follow a t r a i l , " said the
cubs. "Come to the foot of the hill when thou art
a man, and we will talk to thee; and we will come
into the crop-lands to play with thee by night."
"Come soon!" said Father Wolf. " O h , wise
little Frog, come again soon; for we be old, t h y
mother and L "
"Come soon," said Mother Wolf, " l i t t l e naked
son of mine; for, hsten, child of man, I loved thee
more than ever I loved my cubs."

MOWGLI'S BROTHERS 43

" I will surely come," said M o w g l i ; "and when
I come i t w i l l be t o lay out Shere Khan's hide upon
the Council Rock. Do not forget me! Tell them
in the jungle never to forget me!"

The dawn was beginning to break when MowgH
went down the hillside alone t o the crops to meet
those mysterious things t h a t are called men.

HUNTING-SONG OF T H E SEEONEE PACK

As the dawn was breaking the Sambhur belled
Once, twice, and again!

A n d a doe leaped up—and a doe leaped up
From the pond in the wood where the wild deer sup.
This I , scouting alone, beheld,

Once, twice, and again!

As the dawn was breaking the Sambhur belled
Once, twice, and again!

And a wolf stole back—and a wolf stole back
To carry the word to thq waiting Pack;
And we sought and we found and we bayed on his track

Once, twice, and again!

As the dawn was breaking the Wolf-pack yelled
Once, twice, and again!

Feet in the jungle that leave no mark!
Eyes that can see i n the dark—the dark!
Tongue—give tongue to i t ! Hark! O Hark!

Once, twice, and again!

Kaa's Hunting

A L L t h a t is told here happened some time before
M o w g h was t u r n e d out o f t h e Seeonee wolf-pack.
I t was i n the days when Baloo was teaching him
the L a w of the Jungle. The big, serious, old brown
bear was dehghted t o have so q u i c k a p u p i l , f o r the
y o u n g wolves w i l l o n l y learn as m u c h o f the L a w of
t h e Jungle as applies t o t h e i r o w n pack and t r i b e ,
and r u n away as soon as t h e y can repeat t h e H u n t -
ing Verse: "Feet t h a t make no noise; eyes t h a t
can see i n t h e d a r k ; ears t h a t can hear t h e w i n d s
in their lairs, and sharp white teeth—all these

47

48 T H E J U N G L E B O O K

things are the marks of our brothers except Tabaqui
and t h e H y e n a , w h o m we h a t e . " B u t M o w g h , as
a man-cub, had to learn a great deal more than this.
Sometimes Bagheera, the Black Panther, would come
l o u n g i n g t h r o u g h t h e j u n g l e t o see h o w his pet was
getting on, and would purr with his head against
a tree while M o w g h recited the day's lesson to Baloo.
T h e b o y could cHmb almost as w e l l as he could s w i m ,
and s w i m almost as w e l l as he could r u n ; so Baloo,
the Teacher of the Law, taught him the Wood and
Water laws: how to tell a rotten branch from
a sound one; how t o speak p o h t e l y t o the w i l d bees
w h e n he came u p o n a h i v e o f t h e m fifty feet above-
ground; w h a t t o say t o M a n g , the B a t , when he
disturbed him in the branches at midday; and how
t o w a r n the water-snakes i n the pools before he

splashed down among them. None of the Jungle
People like being disturbed, and all are very ready
t o fly at an i n t r u d e r . T h e n , t o o , M o w g h was
t a u g h t the Strangers' H u n t i n g Call, which must be
repeated aloud t i l l i t is answered, whenever one
of the Jungle People hunts outside his own grounds.
I t means, translated: "Give me leave to hunt here
because I am h u n g r y " ; and the answer is: " H u n t ,
then, for food, but not for pleasure."

KAA'S HUNTING 49

A l l this will show you how much Mowgli had to
learn by heart, and he grew very tired of repeating
t h e same t h i n g a h u n d r e d t i m e s ; b u t , as Baloo said
to Bagheera one day when M o w g h had been
cuffed and had run off in a temper: " A man's
cub is a man's cub, and he m u s t learn all t h e L a w
of the Jungle."

" B u t t h i n k how small he is," said the Black
Panther, who would have spoiled MowgH i f he had
had his own way. " H o w can his little head carry
all thy long talk.?"

" I s there a n y t h i n g i n the jungle too little to be
kihed? N o . T h a t is w h y I teach him these things,,
and t h a t is w h y I h i t h i m , very softly, when he
forgets."

" S o f t l y ! What dost thou know of softness,
old Iron-feet.?" Bagheera grunted. " H i s face is
all bruised to-day by thy—softness. UgK!"

" B e t t e r he should be bruised f r o m head to foot
by me who love h i m than that he should come to
harm through ignorance," Baloo answered, very
earnestly. " I am now teaching liim the Master
Words of the Jungle that shall protect him with
the Birds and the Snake People, and all that hunt
on four feet, except his own pack. He can now

THE JUNGLE BOOK

claim protection, i f he w i l l only remember the Words,

from all in the jungle. Is not that worth a httlc

beating?"
" W e l l , look to i t then that thou dost not kill the

man-cub. He is no tree-trunk to sharpen t h y blunt
claws upon. B u t what are those Master Words?
I am more hkely to give help than to ask i t " —
Bagheera stretched out one paw and admired the
steel-blue ripping-chisel talons at the end of i t -
" Still I should hke to know."

" I w i l l call M o w g h and he shall say them—if
he will. Come, Little Brother!"

" M y head is ringing hke a bee-tree," said a suUe*
voice over their heads, and M o w g h shd down a
t r e e - t r u n k , v e r y angry and i n d i g n a n t , adding, as he
reached the ground: " I come for Bagheera and not
f o r thee, f a t o l d B a l o o ! "

" T h a t is all one t o me," said Baloo, though he
was hurt and grieved. " T e l l Bagheera, then, the
Master Words of the Jungle that I have taught thee
this day."

"Master Words for which people?" said Mowgh,
delighted to show off. " T h e jungle has many
tongues. / know them all."

" A l i t t l e t h o u knowest, b u t n o t m u c h . See,

KAA'S HUNTING 51

O Bagheera, they never thank their teacher! N o t
one smaU w o l f l i n g has come back t o t h a n k old Baloo
for his teachings. Say the Word for the Hunting
People, then,—great scholar!"

" W e be of one blood, ye and I , " said M o w g h ,
giving the words the Bear accent which all the
H u n t i n g People of the Jungle use.

"Good! Now for the Birds."
Mowgli repeated, with the Kite's whistle at the
end of the sentence.
" N o w for the Snake People," said Bagheera.
The answer was a perfectly indescribable hiss,
and Mowgh kicked up his feet behind, clapped his
hands together to applaud himself, and jumped
on Bagheera's back, where he sat sideways, d r u m -
m m g w i t h his heels on the glossy skin and making
the worst faces t h a t he could t h i n k of at Baloo.
"There—there! That was worth a little bruise,"
said the Brown Bear, tenderly. "Some day thou
w i l t remember me." Then he turned aside to
tell Bagheera how he had begged the Master
Words from Hathi, the Wild Elephant, who knows
all about these things, and how Hathi had taken
Mowgli down to a pool to get the Snake Word from
a water-snake, because Baloo could not pronounce

5'2 T H E J U N G L E B O O K

it, and how M o w g h was now reasonably safe against
all accidents i n the jungle, because neither snake,
bird, nor beast would hurt him.

" N o one then is to be feared," Baloo wound up,
patting his big furry stomach with pride.

"Except his own tribe," said Bagheera, under
his breath; and then aloud to MowgH: "Have a
care for m y ribs. L i t t l e Brother! W h a t is all this
dancing up and down?"

MowgH had been trying to make himself heard
by pulHng at Bagheera's shoulder-fur and kicking
hard. W h e n the t w o Hstened to h i m he was shout-
i n g at t h e t o p of his voice: " A n d so I shaU have a
tribe of my own, and lead them through the branches
all day long."

" W h a t is this new folly, little dreamer of dreams ?

said Bagheera.
"Yes, and throw branches and dirt at old Baloo,"

Mowgli went on. " T h e y have promised me this,
ah!"

" W h o o f ! " Baloo's big paw scooped M o w g h
o f f Bagheera's back, and as t h e boy l a y between t h e
b i g fore paws he could see t h e bear was angry.

" M o w g H , " said Baloo, " t h o u hast been talking
with the Bandar-log—the Monkey People."

KAA'S HUNTING 53

M o w g l i looked at Bagheera t o see i f the panther
was angry t o o , and Bagheera's eyes were as hard as
jade-stones.

" T h o u hast been w i t h the M o n k e y People—•
the gray apes—the people without a Law—the
eaters of everything. T h a t is great shame."

" W h e n Baloo hurt m y head," said M o w g h (he
was still down on his back), " I went away, and
the gray apes came d o w n f r o m the trees and had
p i t y on me. N o one else cared." He snuffled a
little.

"The pity of the Monkey People!" Baloo snorted.
" T h e stillness of the mountain stream! The cool
of the summer sun! And then, man-cub.?"
" A n d then—and then they gave me nuts and
pleasant things to eat, and they—they carried me
in their arms up to the top of the trees and said I
was their blood-brother, except that I had no tail,
and should be their leader some day."
" T h e y have no leader," said Bagheera. " T h e y
he. They have always bed."
" T h e y were very kind, and bade me come again.
W h y have I never been taken among the M o n k e y
People? T h e y stand on t h e i r feet as I do. T h e y
do not hit me with hard oaws. They play all day.

^4 T H E J U N G L E B O O K

L e t me get u p ! Bad Baloo, let me u p l T w i l l go

play with them again." , ,. •

".Listen, man-eub," said the bear, and his voice

rumbled Uke thunder on a hot night. " I have taught

thee all the L a w of the Jungle for all the Peoples

of the Jungle-except the Monkey Folk who live

i n the trees. T h e y have no L a w . T h e y are out-

castes. T h e y have no speech of t h e i r o w n b u t use

the stolen words which they overhear when they

listen and peep and wait up above m the branches.

T h e i r w a y is not our way. T h e y are w i t h o u t lead»

ers T h e y have no remembrance. T h e y boast and

chatter and pretend t h a t they are a g - ^ ^ People

about to do great alfairs m the jungle, but the fall-

ing of a nut turns their minds to laughter, and all

is forgotten. W e of the jungle have no dealmgs

w i t h them. We do not drink where the monkeys

d r i n k ; we do not go where the monkeys go; we do

not hunt where they hunt; we do not die where they

die. Hast t h o u ever heard me speak of the Bandar-

log till to-day?" r ,r ,

" N o , " said M o w g h in a whisper, for the torest

was v e r y s t i l l n o w t h a t Baloo had finished.

" T h e Jungle People put them out of their mouths

and out of their mmds> They are very many, evil,

KAA'S HUNTING 55

dirty, shameless, and they desire, i f they have
any fixed desire, t o be noticed by the Jungle Peo-
ple. B u t we do not notice t h e m even w h e n t h e y
t h r o w n u t s and filth on our heads."

He had hardly spoken when a shower of nuts
and twigs spattered down through the branches;
and they could hear coughings and bowlings and
angry jumpings high up in the air among the thin
branches.

" T h e M o n k e y People are forbidden," said Baloo,
"forbidden to the Jungle People. Remember."

"Forbidden," said Bagheera; " b u t I still think
Baloo should have warned thee against them."

" I — I ? H o w was I t o guess he would play w i t h
such dirt. The Monkey People! Faugh 1"

A fresh shower came down on their heads, and
the two trotted away, taking Mowgli v/ith them.
W h a t Baloo had said about the monkeys was per-
fectly true. They belonged to the tree-tops, and
as beasts v e r y seldom l o o k up, there wa.s no occasion
for the monkej's and the Jungle People t o cross one
another's path. But whenever they found a sick
wolf, or a wounded tiger or bear, the m.onkeys would
torment h i m , and would throw sticks and nuts at
any beast for f u n and in the hope of being noticed.

56 T H E J U N G L E B O O K

T h e n t h e y w o u l d h o w l and shriek senseless songs,
and invite the Jungle People to cHmb up their
trees and fight t h e m , or w o u l d start f u r i o u s battles
over nothing among themselves, and leave the dead
monkeys where t h e Jungle People could see t h e m .

They were always just going to have a leader and
laws and customs of their own, but they never
did, because their memories would not hold over
f r o m day t o day, and so t h e y settled t h i n g s b y
making up a saying: " W h a t the Bandar-log think
now the Jungle will think later"; and that comforted
them a great deal. None of the beasts could reach
them, but on the other hand none of the beasts
would notice them, and that was w h y they were
so pleased w h e n M o w g h came t o p l a y w i t h t h e m , and
when they heard how angry Baloo was.

They never meant to do any more,—the Bandar-
log never mean anything at all,—but one of them
invented what seemed t o h i m a brilhant idea, and
he t o l d all the others t h a t M o w g h would be a useful
person to keep in the tribe, because he could weave
sticks together f o r protection f r o m the w i n d ; so, if
they caught him, they could make him teach them.
O f course M o w g h , as a wood-cutter's c h i l d , i n h e r i t e d
all sorts of instincts, and used to make little play-