Jungle Book

"TIGER! TIGER!" iii

A t last a d a y came w h e n he d i d n o t see G r a y
Brother at the signal place, and he laughed and
headed t h e buffaloes f o r t h e ravine b y t h e dhdk-tree,
which was all covered with golden-red flowers.
There sat Gray Brother, every bristle on his back
hfted.

" H e has hidden for a m o n t h t o t h r o w thee off t h y
guard. He crossed the ranges last night w i t h Taba-
qui, hot-foot on t h y t r a i l , " said the wolf, panting.

M o w g l i frowned. " I am not afraid of Shere K h a n ,
b u t T a b a q u i is very c u n n i n g . "

" H a v e no fear," said Gray Brother, hcking his
hps a little. " I met Tabaqui in the dawn. N o w
he is t e l h n g a l l his wisdom t o the kites, but he t o l d
me e v e r y t h i n g before I broke his back. Shere K h a n ' s
plan is t o w a i t for thee at the village gate this evening
— f o r thee and for no one else. He is l y i n g up now
in the big dry ravine of the Waingunga."

" H a s he eaten to-day, or does he h u n t empty.?"
said Mowgh, for the answer meant hfe or death to
him.

" H e killed at dawn,—a pig,—and he has d r u n k
too. Remember, Shere K h a n could never fast even
for the sake of revenge."

" O h ! Fool, fool! What a cub's cub it is! Eaten

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

and drunk too, and he thinks t h a t I shall w a i t t i l l he
has slept! N o w , where does he lie up ? I f there were
b u t t e n o f us we m i g h t p u l l h i m d o w n as he lies.
These buffaloes w i l l not charge unless they wind h i m ,
and I cannot speak their language. Can we get be-
h i n d his t r a c k so t h a t t h e y m a y smell it.?"

" H e swam far down the Waingunga to cut that
off," said Gray Brother.

"Tabaqui told him that, I know. He would never
have thought of i t alone." Mowgli stood w i t h his
finger i n his m o u t h , t h i n k i n g . " T h e big ravine of
the Waingunga. T h a t opens out on the plain not
half a mile from here. I can take the herd round
through the jungle to the head of the ravine and then
sweep down—but he would slink out at the foot.
We must block that end. Gray Brother, canst thou
cut the herd in two for me?"

" N o t I , perhaps—but I have brought a wise
helper." Gray Brother trotted off and dropped into
a hole. Then there lifted up a huge gray head that
M o w g l i knew well, and t h e hot air was filled w i t h
the most desolate cry of all the jungle—the hunting-
howl of a wolf at midday.

" A k e l a ! A k e l a ! " said Mowgh, clapping his hands.
" I m i g h t have k n o w n t h a t t h o u w o u l d s t not forget

"TIGER! TIGER!" 113

me. We have a big work in hand. Cut the herd in
two, Akela. Keep the cows and calves together, and
the bulls and the plow-buffaloes by themselves."

The two wolves ran, ladies'-chain fashion, in and
out of the herd, which snorted and threw up its head
and separated into t w o clumps. I n one the cow-
buffaloes stood, w i t h their calves in the center, and
glared and pawed, ready, i f a wolf would only stay
still, to charge down and trample the life out of him.
I n the other the bulls and the young bulls snorted
and stamped; but, though they looked more imposing,
t h e y were m u c h less dangerous, for t h e y had no
calves to protect. N o six men could have divided
t h e herd so neatly.

" W h a t orders!" panted Akela. " T h e y are t r y i n g
to join again."

Mowgh shpped on to Rama's back. "Drive the
bulls away to the left, Akela. Gray Brother, when
we are gone hold the cows together, and drive t h e m
into the foot of the ravine."

" H o w far.?" said Gray Brother, panting and
snapping.

" T i l l the sides are higher t h a n Shere K h a n can
jump," shouted Mowgh. "Keep them there till we
come d o w n . " T h e bulls swept off" as A k e l a bayed,

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

and Gray Brother stopped i n front o f tlie cows.

They charged down on him, and he ran just before

t h e m t o t h e f o o t of t h e ravine, as A k e l a drove the

bulls far to the left.

" W e l l done! Another charge and they are f a i r l y

started. Careful, n o w - c a r e f u l , Akela. A snap too

m u c h , and t h e bulls w i l l charge. Hujah ! T h i s is

wilder work than driving black-buck. Didst thou

t h i n k these creatures could move so s w i f t l y ? " M o w -

gli called. .

"X have—have hunted these too in my time,

gasped Akela m the dust. " Shall I t u r n them into

the jungle?" _

" A y , t u r n ! Swiftly t u r n them. Rama is mad

w i t h rage. Oh, if I could only tell h i m what I need

of him to-day!"

The bulls were turned to the right this time, and

crashed m t o the s t a n d m g t h i c k e t . T h e other herd=-

children, watching with the cattle half a mile away,

h u r r i e d t o t h e village as fast as t h e i r legs could carry

them, crymg that the buffaloes had gone mad and

run away.

B u t M o w g h ' s plan was simple enough. AU he

wanted to do was to make a big circle uphill and get

at the head of the ravine, and then take the bulls

"TIGER! TIGER!" 115

down i t and catch Shere K h a n between the bulls
and the cows, for he knew that after a meal and a
f u l l drink Shere K h a n would not be in any condition
t o fight or t o clamber up t h e sides o f t h e ravine. H e
was soothing the buffaloes now by voice, and Akela
had dropped far to the rear, only whimpering once or
twice to hurry the rear-guard. I t was a long, long
circle, for they did not wish to get too near the ravine
and give Shere K h a n warning. A t last MowgH
rounded up the bewildered herd at the head of the
ravine on a grassy patch that sloped steeply down
t o the ravine itself. F r o m t h a t height y o u could see
across the tops of the trees down to the plain below;
but w h a t M o w g l i looked at was the sides of the ra-
vme, and he saw w i t h a great deal of satisfaction
that they ran nearly straight up and down, and the
vines and creepers that hung over them would give
no foothold to a tiger who wanted to get out.

" L e t t h e m breathe, A k e l a , " he said, holding up his
hand. "They have not winded him yet. Let them
breathe. I must tell Shere K h a n who comes. We
have him in the trap."

He put his hands to his mouth and shouted down
the ravine,—it was almost Hke shouting down a
tunnel,—and the echoes j u m p e d f r o m rock to rock.

I J 6 THE JUNGLE BOOK

After a long time there came back the drawUng,
sleepy snarl of a full-fed tiger just awakened.

" W h o calls?" said Shere IChan, and a splendid
peacock fluttered up o u t of the ravine, screechmg.

" I , MowgU. Cattle-thief, i t is time to come t o
the Coundl Rockl D o w n - h u r r y them down, Akela.
Down, Rama, down!"

T h e herd paused for an instant at the edge ot the
slope, but Akela gave tongue in the fuU huntmg-yeU,
and hey pitched over one a f t e r the other j u s t as
steamers shoot rapids, the sand and stones spurtmg
up round them. Once started, there was no chance
oLtoppmg, and before they were fairly m the bed of
the ravine Rama wmded Shere K h a n - d bellowed^

" H a ' H a ! " said M o w g l i , on his back. N o w
thou knowest!" and the torrent of black horns, foam^
ing muzzles, and starmg eyes whirled down the ravine
Uke boulders m flood-time; the weaker buffaloes be-
ing shouldered out to the sides of the ravme where
they tore through the creepers. They knew wha
the busmess was before t h e m - t h e terrible charge ot

the buffalo-herd, agamst which no tiger can hope to
stand. Shere K h a n heard the thunder of their hoofs,
picked himself up, and lumbered down the ravme
looking f r o m side t o side for some w a y of escape, but

"TIGER! TIGER!" 117

the walls of the ravine were straight, and he had to
keep- on, heavy w i t h his dinner and his d r i n k , w i l h n g
to do anything rather than fight. The herd splashed
through the pool he had just left, bellowing t i l l the
narrow cut rang. M o w g l i heard an answering bellow
f r o m the foot of the ravine, saw Shere K h a n t u r n (the
tiger knew i f the worst came to the worst it was better
to meet the bulls than the cows w i t h their calves),
and then Rama tripped, stumbled, and went on again
over something soft, and, w i t h the bulls at his heels,
crashed full into the other herd, while the weaker
buffaloes were lifted clean off their feet by the shock
of the meeting. T h a t charge carried both herds out
into the plain, goring and stamping and snorting.
M o w g h watched his time, and shpped off Rama's
neck, laying about him right and left w i t h his stick.

"Quick, Akela! Break them up. Scatter them,
or t h e y w i l l be fighting one another. D r i v e t h e m
away, A k e l a . Hai, R a m a ! Hai! hai! hail m y
c h i l d r e n . S o f t l y now, s o f t l y ! I t is aU over."

Akela and Gray Brother ran to and fro nipping
the buffaloes' legs, and though the herd wheeled once
to charge up the ravine again, Mowgh managed to
turn Rama, and the others followed him to the wal-
lows.

t i8 T H E J U N G L E BOOK

Shere K h a n needed no more trampUng. He was
dead, and the kites were coming for. him already.

"Brothers, that was a dog's death," said Mowgh,
feeling for the knife he always carried in a sheath
round his neck now t h a t he lived w i t h men. " B u t
he w o u l d never have shown fight. H i s hide w i l l l o o k
well on the Council Rock. We must get to work
swiftly."

A boy trained among men would never have
dreamed of skinning a ten-foot tiger alone, but Mow^
gh knew better t h a n any one else h o w an animal's
skin is fitted on, and h o w i t can be t a k e n off. B u t
it was hard work, and M o w g l i slashed and tore and
grunted for an hour, while the wolves lolled out their
tongues, or came f o r w a r d and tugged as he ordered
them.

Presently a hand fell on his shoulder, and looking
up he saw Buldeo w i t h the Tower musket. The chil-
dren had told the village about the buffalo stampede,
and Buldeo went out angrily, only too anxious to
correct MowgU for not taking better care of the herd.
T h e wolves dropped out o f sight as soon as t h e y saw
the man coming.

" W h a t is this f o l l y ? " said Buldeo, angrily. T o

t h i n k t h a t t h o u canst skin a t i g e r ! Where did the

"TIGER! TIGER!" 119

buffaloes kill him? I t is the Lame Tiger too, and
there is a hundred rupees on his head. Well, well, we
will overlook t h y letting the herd run off, and perhaps
I w i l l give thee one of the rupees of the reward when
I have taken the skin to Khanhiwara." He fumbled
in his waist-cloth for flint and steel, and stooped down
to singe Shere Khan's whiskers. M o s t native
hunters singe a tiger's whiskers to prevent his ghost
haunting them.

" H u m ! " said M o w g h , h a l f t o himself as he ripped
back the skin of a fore paw. "So thou wilt take the
hide to Khanhiwara for the reward, and perhaps give
me one rupee ? N o w i t is i n m y mind that I need the
skin for m y own use. H e h ! old man, take away that
fire!"

" W h a t t a l k is this to the chief hunter of the v i l -
lage? T h y luck and the stupidity of t h y buffaloes
have helped thee to this k i l l . T h e tiger has just fed,
or he would have gone twenty miles by this time.
T h o u canst not even skin him properly, little beggar-
brat, and forsooth I , Buldeo, must be t o l d not to
singe his whiskers. M o w g l i , I will not give thee one
anna of the reward, but only a very big beating.
Leave the carcass!"

" B y the Bull that bought me," said M o w g h , who

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

was t r y i n g to get at the shoulder, "must I stay bab-

bling to an old ape all noon ? Here, Akela, this man

plagues rne."
Buldeo, who was still stooping over Shere Khan's

head, found himself sprawling on the grass, w i t h a
gray wolf standing over him, while Mowgh went on
s k i n n i n g as t h o u g h he were alone i n all I n d i a .

"Ye-es," he said, between his teeth. " T h o u art
altogether right, Buldeo. Thou wilt never give me
one anna of the reward. There is an old war between
this lame tiger and myself—a very old war, and—I
have won."

T o do Buldeo justice, i f he had been ten years
younger he would have taken his chance w i t h Akela
had he met the wolf in the woods, but a wolf who
obeyed the orders of this boy who had private wars
with man-eating tigers was not a common animal. I t
was sorcery, magic of the worst kind, thought Buldeo,
and he wondered whether the amulet round his neck
w o u l d protect h i m . H e l a y as stiU as s t i l l , expecting
every m i n u t e t o see M o w g l i t u r n i n t o a tiger, t o o .

" M a h a r a j l Great K i n g , " he said at last, i n a

husky whisper.
" Y e s , " said Mowgh, without turning his head,

chuckling a little.



"TIGER! TIGER!" 123

" I am an old man. I did not know that thou wast
anything more t h a n a herd-boy. M a y I rise up and
go away, or will t h y servant tear me to pieces?"

" G o , and peace go w i t h thee. Only, another
time do not meddle with m y game. Let him go,
Akela."

Buldeo hobbled away t o t h e viUage as fast as he
could, looking back over his shoulder i n case M o w g U
should change into something terrible. W h e n he got
to the village he told a tale of magic and enchant-
ment and sorcery that made the priest look very
grave.

Mowgli went on with his work, but it was nearly
t w i l i g h t before he and the wolves had drawn the
great gay skin clear of the body.

" N o w we must hide this and take the buffaloes
home! Help me to herd them, Akela."

The herd rounded up in the misty twilight, and
when they got near the village Mowgli saw lights,
and heard the conches and bells in the temple blowing
and banging. H a l f the village seemed to be w a i t i n g
for h i m b y the gate. " T h a t is because I have killed
Shere K h a n , " he said t o himself; but a shower of
stones whistled about his ears, and the villagers
shouted; "Sorcerer! Wolf's brat! Jungle-demon I

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

Go away! Get hence quickly, or the priest will t u r n
thee into a wolf again. Shoot, Buldeo, shoot!"

The old Tower musket went off with a bang, and a
young buffalo bellowed in pain.

" M o r e sorcery!" shouted the villagers. " H e can
t u r n bullets. Buldeo, t h a t was thy b u f f a l o . "

" N o w w h a t is t h i s ? " said M o w g h , bewildered, as
t h e stones flew t h i c k e r .

" T h e y are not unhke the Pack, these brothers
of thine," said Akela, sitting down composedly. " I t
is i n m y head that, i f bullets mean anything, they
would cast thee out."

" W o l f ! Wolf's cub! Go away!" shouted the
priest, w a v i n g a sprig of the sacred tulsi p l a n t .

"Again? Last time i t was because I was a man.
T h i s t i m e i t is because I am a w o l f . L e t us go,
Akela."

A w o m a n — i t was Messua—ran across t o the herd,
and cried: " O h , my son, my son! They,say thou
art a sorcerer who can t u r n himself into a beast at
w i l l . I do not beheve, but go away or they w i l l k i l l
thee. Buldeo says t h o u art a wizard, but I know
thou hast avenged Nathoo's death."

"Come back, Messua!" shouted the crowd.
"Come back, or we will stone thee."

"TIGER! TIGER!" 125

Mowgli laughed a little short ugly laugh, for a
stone had hit him in the mouth. " Run back, Mes-
sua. T h i s is one of the foolish tales t h e y tell under
the big tree at dusk. I have at least paid for t h y
son's life. Farewell; and run quickly, for I shall send
the herd in more swiftly than their brickbats. I am
no wizard, Messua. Farewell!

" N o w , once more, A k e l a , " he cried. " B r i n g the
herd i n . "

The buffaloes were anxious enough to get to the
viUage. They hardly needed Akela's yell, but
charged through the gate hke a whirlwind, scattering
the crowd right and left.

"Keep count!" shouted Mowgli, scornfully. " I t
may be t h a t I have stolen one of them. Keep count,
for I will do your herding no more. Fare you well,
children of men, and thank Messua that I do not
come in with my wolves and hunt you up and down
your street."

He turned on his heel and walked away w i t h the
Lone W o l f ; and as he looked up at the stars he f e l t
happy. " N o more sleeping in traps for me, Akela.
L e t us get Shere Khan's skin and go away. N o ;
we wiU not hurt the village, for Messua was kind to
me."

X26 T H E J U N G L E B O O K
W h e n the moon rose over the plain, making i t

look all milky, the horrified villagers saw M o w g h ,
w i t h t w o wolves at his heels and a bundle on his
head, t r o t t i n g across at the steady wolf's t r o t t h a t
eats up the long miles hke fire. Then they banged

" W H E N T H E MOON R O ^ OVER T H E P L M N ™ E VILLAGERS SAW MOWGLI
TROTTING ACROSS, WITH T W O WOLVES AT HIS HEELS.

the temple bells and blew the conches louder than
ever; and Messua cried, and Buldeo embroidered the
story of his adventures i n the jungle, t i l l he ended by
saying t h a t Akela stood up on his hind legs and
talked hke a man.

The moon was just going down when MowgU and

"TIGER! TIGER!" 127

the t w o wolves came to the hill of the Council Rock,
and they stopped at Mother Wolf's cave.

" T h e y have cast me out f r o m the M a n Pack,
Mother," shouted Mowgli, " b u t I come w i t h the hide
of Shere K h a n to keep m y w o r d . " Mother Wolf
walked stiffly from the cave w i t h the cubs behind
her, and her eyes glowed as she saw t h e skin.

" I told h i m on that day, when he crammed his
head and shoulders into this cave, hunting for t h y
life, Little Frog—-I told him that the hunter would
be the hunted. I t is well done."

" L i t t l e Brother, i t is well done," said a deep voice
in the thicket. " W e were lonely in the jungle with-
out thee," and Bagheera came running to Mowgli's
bare feet. They clambered up the Council Rock
together, and M o w g l i spread t h e skin o u t on t h e flat
stone where Akela used to sit, and pegged i t down
with four slivers of bamboo, and Akela lay down
upon it, and called the old call to the Council, "Look
— l o o k w e l l , O W o l v e s ! " e x a c t l y as he had called
w h e n M o w g l i was first b r o u g h t there.

Ever since Akela had been deposed, the Pack had
been w i t h o u t a leader, h u n t i n g and fighting at t h e i r
own pleasure. But they answered the call from
h a b i t , and some o f t h e m were lame f r o m t h e t r a p s

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

they had faUen into, and some hmped f r o m shot-
wounds, and some were mangy f r o m eating bad food,
and many were missing; but they came to the Council
Rock, all that were left of them, and saw Shere Khan's
striped hide on the rock, and the huge claws dangling
at the end of the empty, dangling feet. I t was then
that Mowgli made up a song without any rhymes, a
song that came up into his throat all by itself, and
he shouted it aloud, leaping up and down on the rat-
t l i n g skin, and beating .time w i t h his heels t i l l he had
no more breath left, while Gray Brother and Akela
howled between the verses.

"Look well, 0 Wolves. Have I kept my word?"
said M o w g h w h e n he had finished; and t h e wolves
bayed " Y e s , " and one tattered wolf howled:

" L e a d us again, 0 Akela. Lead us again, O M a n -
cub, for we be sick of this lawlessness, and we would
be the Free People once more."

" N a y , " purred Bagheera, " t h a t may not be.
W h e n ye are full-fed, the madness may come upon ye
again. N o t for n o t h i n g are ye called the Free People.
Y e fought for freedom, and i t is yours. E a t i t , O
Wolves."

" M a n Pack and W o l f Pack have cast me out," said
M o w g h , " N o w I will hunt alone in the jungle."

^^^^^^^^^^^^

' T H E Y C L A M B E R E D U P ON T H E COUNCIL ROCK: T O G E T H E R , AND
MOWGLI SPREAD T H E SKIN OUT ON T H E FLAT STONE."

"TIGER! TIGER!" 131

" A n d we w i l l hunt w i t h thee," said the four cubs.
So M o w g h w e n t a w a y and h u n t e d w i t h the f o u r
cubs i n the jungle f r o m t h a t day on. B u t he was
not always alone, because years afterward he became
a man and married.
B u t t h a t is a story for grown-ups.

MOWGLI'S SONG

THAT H E SANG AT T H E COUNCIL ROCK WHEN H E DANCED ON SHERE
KHAN'S HIDE

The Song of M o w g l i — I , Mowgli, am singing. Let the jungle
listen to the things I have done.

Shere Khan said he would kill—would k i l l ! A t the gates in the
twilight he would kill M o w g l i , the Frog!

He ate and he drank. D r i n k deep, Shere Khan, for when wilt
thou drink again.? Sleep and dream of the kill.

I am alone on the grazing-grounds. Gray Brother, come to me!
Come to me, Lone Wolf, for there is big game afoot.

Bring up the great bull-buffaloes, the blue-skinned herd-bulls
w i t h the angry eyes. Drive them to and fro as I order.

Sleepest thou still, Shere Khan? Wake, O wake! Here come I ,
and the bulls are behind.

Rama, the King of the Buffaloes, stamped with his foot. Waters
of the Waingunga, whither went Shere Khan.?

He is not I k k i to dig holes, nor Mao, the Peacock, that he should
fly. He is not Mang, the Bat, to hang in the branches.
L ' t t l e bamboos that creak together, tell me where he ran?

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

Ow' He is there. Ahoo ! He is there. Under the feet ot
Rama lies the Lame One! U p , Shere K h a n ! U p and kiUI
Here is meat; break the necks of the bulls!

Hsh ! He is asleep. We w i l l not wake h i m , for his strength is
very great. The kites have come down to see it. The black
ants have come up to know i t . There is a great assembly in
his honour.

Alala ! I have no cloth to wrap me. The kites w i l l see that I

am naked. I am ashamed to meet all these people.

Lend me t h y coat, Shere Khan. Lend me t h y gay striped coat
t h a t I may go to the Council Rock.

By the Bull that bought me I have made a promise—a little
promise. Only thy coat is lacking before I keep m y word.

W i t h the knife—with the knife that men use—with the knife of
the hunter, the man, I will stoop down for my gift.

Waters of the Waingunga, bear witness that Shere Khan gives
me his coat for the love that he bears me. Pull, Gray
Brother! Pull, Akela! Heavy is the hide of Shere Khan.

The M a n Pack are angry. They throw stones and talk child's
talk. M y mouth is bleeding. L e t us run away.

Through the night, through the hot night, run swiftly with me,
m y brothers. We will leave the lights of the village and go
to the low moon.

Waters of the Waingunga, the M a n Pack have cast me out. I

did them no harm, but they were afraid of me. Why?

Wolf Pack, ye have cast me out too. The jungle is shut to me
and the village gates are shut. Why?

As M a n g Bies between the beasts and the birds so fly I between
the village and the jungle. Why?

I dance on the, hide of Shere Khan, but m y heart is very heavy.
M y mouth is cut and wounded w i t h the stones from the

"TIGER! TIGER!" 133

village, but m y heart is very light because I have come back
to the jungle. Why?
These two things fight together in me as the snakes fight in the
spring. The water comes out of m y eyes; yet I laugh while
it falls.' Why?
I am two Mowglis, but the hide of Shere Khan is under m y feet.

A l l the jungle knows that I have killed Shere Khan. Look—look
well, O Wolves!

Ahae ! M y heart is heavy w i t h the things that I do not under-
stand.