The Jungle Book 1: The Man Cub
It was a very warm evening in the jungle. The moon shone brightly into the mouth of the wolves' cave. Father Wolf woke up from his day's rest and yawned. Mother Wolf lay nearby. She kept her nose on their four tumbling, squealing cubs.
Father Wolf stretched. "It's time to hunt again, Mother."
Just then a shadow with a bushy tail appeared at the entrance of the cave. Father Wolf frowned. It was Tabaqui, the jackal. The wolves disliked Tabaqui because he was always looking for food. They were afraid of him too, because he was cunning and had a bad temper. Sometimes he ran madly through the forest, biting everything in his way. When Tabaqui acted like that, even the fierce tiger, Shere Khan, stayed away from him.
"I'm hungry," Tabaqui announced.
"Come inside and look around, Tabaqui," Father Wolf said with a sigh. "But I promise you. There is no food here."
"I might find something," Tabaqui replied. He slunk toward the back of the cave and sniffed around. Soon he found an old bone with a scrap of meat.
"Thanks for the good meal," he said, licking his lips. He stared at the tiny wolf cubs. "I must say, your children are beautiful."
Mother Wolf moved closer to her cubs. She and Father exchanged nervous glances.
"Oh, by the way," Tabaqui went on, "Shere Khan has found some new hunting grounds. He told me he will be hunting here for a while."
"Here?" Mother Wolf said in surprise.
"But he has no right to hunt here!" Father Wolf exclaimed. "Shere Khan must stay near the river. That’s the law of the jungle!"
Tabaqui laughed. "Shall I tell him about your concern?"
"Out!" Father Wolf snapped at the jackal. "Go hunt with your master, Tabaqui. You've bothered us enough for one night."
"I will go," Tabaqui said quietly. "But remember my warning about Shere Khan's new hunting place. You can hear him right now, in fact. He's below, hunting among the bushes."
After Tabaqui was gone, Father Wolf stepped out of the cave. Below in the valley, he could indeed hear the low snarls of a tiger.
Mother Wolf came out and stood beside him. "It sounds like Shere Khan is not hunting animals tonight. I think he is hunting humans."
Father Wolf flashed his white teeth. "There are plenty of beetles and frogs in the jungle. Why must that tiger hunt humans?"
Mother Wolf grunted. An important law ruled the jungle. Animals were not supposed to hunt humans.
The tiger's snarls grew louder, and then there was a howl. The wolves could hear Shere Khan tumbling about in the bushes. He was howling in pain.
"That foolish tiger probably jumped at a human's campfire. It sounds like he burned his feet," Father Wolf said.
Mother Wolf twitched one ear, listening carefully. "Something is coming uphill!"
The nearby bushes rustled. Father Wolf dropped low, ready to pounce. But then Mother Wolf let out a gasp.
"It's a man cub!"
A very young boy stood in front of the wolves. The tiny human blinked as he stared into Father Wolf's face.
"Father!" Mother Wolf whispered. "Quick! Bring that man cub into our cave!"
Father Wolf stepped forward and closed his jaws very gently on the child's neck. Then he carried the boy into the cave, dropping him near his own small cubs.


The Jungle Book 2: Council Rock
Mother Wolf gazed at the small human in wonder. "He's so little!" she said softly. The young boy was squirming between two cubs to get warm. "Look at that! He's not afraid of us or the cubs."
"I've heard of young humans living with wolves," Father Wolf said. "But I've never seen it in my own pack."
Just then the wolves heard something and spun toward the entrance of the cave. Tabaqui had returned—with the tiger, Shere Khan.
"The boy is here, master!" the jackal said eagerly. "I see him."
"Shere Khan, your visit brings us great honor," Father Wolf said politely. But his eyes sparked with anger. "What do you need?"
"A human cub went this way," Shere Khan said. "His parents have run off. Give the man cub to me."
Luckily, the cave entrance was too narrow for Shere Khan to enter.
"We wolves are free creatures," said Father Wolf. "We take orders from the head of the pack, not from you."
The tiger's furious roar filled the cave. Mother Wolf sprang forward. In the darkness her eyes looked like two green moons as she faced Shere Khan.
"The human cub is mine!" She growled. "He will not be killed. He will live to run with the pack and to hunt with the pack. Now go, Shere Khan!"
Father looked on in amazement. He had forgotten how fierce his mate could be when she was angry.
Shere Khan backed away from the cave. "We'll see what the pack says about that human cub!" He snarled. "He's mine, and his life will end in my teeth!"
Mother threw herself down among the cubs as Father watched the tiger stalk off.
"Shere Khan spoke the truth about one thing," Father said with a sigh. "We must show this cub to the pack. Do you really plan to keep him?"
"Of course I'll keep him!" Mother snapped. "The poor little creature came at night, alone and hungry. I'll call him Mowgli," she added. "One day he will hunt Shere Khan, just as that tiger has hunted him."
Father was worried. "What will our pack say?" The law of the jungle was very clear. The pack protected young cubs until they were old enough to hunt on their own. But the pack wasn't likely to protect a human cub.
"We'll deal with that later," Mother replied firmly.
***
The pack council met once every month, when the moon was full. It was the duty of all new parents to show their cubs to the council.
On the night of the next pack meeting, Father and Mother went to Council Rock. The wolf cubs and Mowgli ran after them. Council Rock was a hilltop covered with stones and boulders.
Akela, the great gray wolf, lay across a rock. He had led the pack for a year now. He was a wise, strong leader, who knew the ways and customs of people.
It was very quiet at Council Rock. All the parents sat in a circle. In the center of the circle, the cubs tumbled over one another, playing.
One by one, the wolf parents showed their cubs to show the pack.
"Look well, oh, wolves!" Akela cried.
The mothers anxiously repeated the call. "Look, look well, oh, wolves!"
Mother's fur quivered. It was almost time to show Mowgli to the pack. What would the wolves say when they saw the odd-looking man cub?


The Jungle Book 3: Mowgli
The small man cub sat in the circle with the wolf cubs. He was playing with some white pebbles that glowed in the moonlight. Father Wolf nudged Mowgli forward with his nose.
"Look well, oh, wolves!" Akela cried, as he'd done with the other cubs. Before any wolves could respond, a muffled roar came from behind the rocks. It was Shere Khan.
"The cub is mine!" the tiger growled. "Give him to me!"
"Look well, oh, wolves!" Akela called. "Look well upon this cub!"
The law of the jungle was that two wolves had to speak for the cub. This was how the pack accepted the wolf cubs.
"Who will speak for this cub?" Akela called.
Mother Wolf tensed, ready to defend Mowgli.
Akela was still waiting for someone to speak. Besides the wolves in the pack, only one other animal was allowed at the pack council. It was Baloo, a sleepy brown bear who taught the wolf cubs the law of the jungle. Baloo ate only nuts, roots, and honey, so none of the other jungle creatures feared him.
As Shere Khan stepped closer, the brown bear rose on his back legs. He grunted loudly. "I speak for the human cub. Let him run with the pack. I will teach him, as I teach the other cubs."
"Who else will speak for the human cub?" Akela called.
Just then a black shadow dropped down into the circle. It was Bagheera, the black panther. The wolves quickly backed away from him.
"Akela, I have no right to be here. " The black panther's voice was as soft as honey dripping from a tree. "But the law of the jungle says a cub's life may be bought. Am I right?"
"Yes!" a few young wolves replied eagerly. The young wolves were always hungry.
"Akela!" one wolf called. "Listen to Bagheera. The cub can be bought for a price. It is the law of the jungle."
The black panther smiled gently. "I'd like to propose a deal. Baloo has already spoken for the boy. If the rest of you accept him, I will share some delicious food with you. It's a fat bull, freshly killed."
Mother Wolf looked at Father. "Why is the panther speaking up for Mowgli?" she said. Father shrugged.
The other wolves had gathered to discuss the situation.
"The boy will die in the winter rains," one said.
"He will burn in the sun," another added.
"What harm can a little cub do?"
"Come on. Let's let him run with the pack."
Finally the wolves agreed to accept Mowgli. Mowgli sat calmly, playing with the white pebbles. Akela's cry rose as they each inspected him. "Look well—look well, wolves!"
Soon the pack started down the hill to eat the meal promised by the panther. Akela, Bagheera, Baloo, and Mowgli's family stayed behind at the rock. With a furious roar, Shere Khan stalked away from them.
"Roar all you want, tiger," Bagheera muttered. "I have a feeling about this man cub. One day Mowgli will make you roar for another reason, Shere Khan."
Akela turned to Mother and Father Wolf with a smile. "Humans are very wise. Perhaps your man cub can help our pack in some way."
Mowgli's parents nodded their thanks. Then Father Wolf turned to the bear. "And thank you for your help today, Baloo. Please begin training little Mowgli as soon as possible. He must learn how to be a wolf."


The Jungle Book 4: The Languages of the Jungle
The old brown bear, Baloo, began teaching Mowgli the law of the jungle. He showed the boy where to find good nuts. He taught him not to bother Mang, the bat, while he slept during the day. Mowgli also learned to warn the water snakes before he splashed into their pool.
Each day Bagheera came to check on Mowgli's progress.
"Mowgli is amazing!" Baloo said, beaming. "He climbs as well as he swims. And he swims almost as well as he runs."
Baloo made Mowgli work very hard. One day Mowgli got bored. When Baloo scolded him for being lazy, Mowgli ran off.
"Where's the boy?" Bagheera asked when he arrived.
Baloo sighed. "He went off in a huff."
"The man cub is very young," Bagheera said. "Maybe his head is too little to remember all these things."
"Well, he's not too little to be killed!" Baloo replied. "That's why I'm teaching him the law of the jungle. He's even learning all of the languages of the jungle. This will protect him and keep him safe here."
"Maybe." Bagheera stretched out a paw to admire his sharp claws.
"When we find Mowgli, I'll ask him to show you his skill with the languages," Baloo said. "But who knows when he'll return."
"I'm right here!" a voice snapped from above. Mowgli slid down a tree trunk and glared at Baloo. "I only came down because of Bagheera. I'm still mad at you, fat old Baloo!"
"Show Bagheera how you can speak the jungle languages," Baloo said.
"Which one? I know all of them," Mowgli boasted.
"Okay, great scholar," Baloo teased him. "Why don't you speak like the lion?"
Mowgli spoke in a deep voice. "We are of one blood."
"Good," Baloo said. "Now speak like a bird."
Mowgli made a hawk's call.
Bagheera was impressed. "Now the snake's language."
"Ssss!" Mowgli said. He clapped for his own performance and then jumped onto Bagheera's back. He banged his heels on the panther's sides while making nasty faces at Baloo.
"Someday you will thank me," Baloo muttered.
"Baloo, how did you learn all the languages?" Bagheera asked.
The bear patted his big furry stomach proudly. "I learned them from Hathi the elephant."
Meanwhile Mowgli was kicking Bagheera and grabbing at his fur.
"Hey!" Bagheera said. "Watch out for my ribs."
"Someday I'll have a whole tribe of my own," Mowgli bragged. "I'll lead everyone through the jungle. I'll play and eat all day long." He laughed. "And I'll throw branches and dirt at old Baloo."

Whoof! 
Baloo's big paw scooped Mowgli off Bagheera's back. "Mowgli!" Baloo said. "You sound just like the monkeys. You've been spending time with them!"
Mowgli lay on the ground. He looked at Bagheera, whose eyes had turned cold.
"The monkeys have no laws. They are rude and silly," Baloo said. "Stay away from them!"
Mowgli sniffled. "You were mean to me before. But the monkeys were nice. They came down from the trees and played with me. They gave me nuts too."
Baloo snorted.
"They said I'm going to be their leader one day," Mowgli added spitefully.
"They have no leader," Bagheera snapped. "And they lie."
"Listen, Mowgli." Baloo's voice rumbled like thunder. "The monkeys live in the trees. They boast and chatter constantly. We do not drink where the monkeys drink. We do not go where the monkeys go."
Mowgli lay very still.
"We do not notice them," Baloo added. "Even when they throw nuts on our heads!"
Just then nuts poured down from the trees. A bunch of monkeys howled loudly with laughter.


The Jungle Book 5: A Water Truce
Mowgli continued growing and learning the law of the jungle. One year a terrible drought arrived. It began when the winter came, bringing little rain. The yams dried up and few trees flowered. Next a burning heat crept into the jungle, turning it yellow, brown, and then black. Water holes turned to mud. Bamboo stalks grew dry, clanking loudly in the hot wind.
It was the first time that Mowgli had felt deep hunger. While this hunger was awful, his thirst was worse. The heat went on and on, drying up all the moisture. Soon only one river still had water.
Hathi, the wise old elephant, lifted his trunk. "There is a water truce!" he declared. Mowgli learned that this meant no one could hunt at the river. Instead everyone could safely drink there. The animals whistled and shrieked, spreading the news of the water truce.
"This is a terrible time," Bagheera said one evening at the river.
Mowgli nodded. The air still felt as hot as fire.
Baloo sighed. "The rains have forgotten us this year."
Upstream, Hathi stood with his sons in the moonlight. Nearby some deer were drinking, along with pigs and wild buffalo.
"The humans are hungry too," a pig said. "They're dying in their fields."
"Hathi, have you ever seen anything like this drought?" Baloo asked.
"No. But it will pass." Hathi squirted water along his back and sides.
Baloo looked at Mowgli. "Well, we have someone here who cannot survive much longer without more food. The boy is all skin and bones."
"Hey!" Mowgli sat up in the water, insulted. "That's because I don't have any fur to cover my bones."
Everyone laughed, but Mowgli was scowling at Baloo. "You wouldn't look good without fur either!"
Bagheera put out a paw and gently knocked Mowgli back into the water. Mowgli rose, spluttering and laughing.
"It's rude to make fun of your teacher, Mowgli," Bagheera said. Grinning, he dunked Mowgli again.
This time when Mowgli rose from the water, he saw that Bagheera's expression had changed.
"Uh-oh," he thought. He saw the tiger slinking toward them.
"Why, look at this." Shere Khan's voice was a low rumble. He bent to take a drink. "It's the man cub."
Mowgli slipped behind Bagheera as Shere Khan dipped his chin in the river. Soon dark oily streaks were floating in the water.
Bagheera looked suspiciously at the oily streaks. "What have you been up to, Shere Khan?"
Shere Khan smiled slyly. "I found a human," he said. "So I came to the river for a drink—and to clean myself."
A few animals gasped.
"You killed a person during the drought?" Bagheera snapped. "Couldn't you find something else to eat?"
The tiger just shrugged.
Hathi had been listening quietly. Now he stepped closer to Shere Khan and swung his trunk.
"As you know, Shere Khan, there is a drought," the elephant said. "The river is for drinking, not washing off blood. Besides, we are all suffering—jungle animals and humans. It is wrong to boast of killing right now."
Shere Khan looked down.
"Have you had enough to drink?" Hathi asked.
"Yes."
"Go then!" Hathi commanded. His three sons moved to stand behind him.
Shere Khan slunk away, not even daring to growl. For he knew what everyone knew—Hathi was the master of the jungle.
Bagheera sighed and turned back to Mowgli. "Never forget this, Little Brother. Shere Khan is your enemy."


The Jungle Book 6: The Flight of the Monkeys
The drought finally passed. The old bear, Baloo, had already taught Mowgli many things about the law of the jungle. Mowgli learned important lessons from the wolves too.
Father Wolf taught Mowgli to pay attention to sounds. "Every sound in the jungle means something. Listen carefully to the rustle of the grass and the owls' song. The owls can tell you when danger is coming."
Mowgli's wolf brothers showed Mowgli how to watch how other animals acted. Bats scratched the trees before they rested. Fish splashed in the pools when they were hungry.
Meanwhile the monkeys, up in the trees, watched Mowgli all day long. They saw him weaving sticks to make a shelter. They watched him build little huts from rocks and stomp in the mud. Mowgli was just playing, like all children of his age. But the monkeys didn't know it was just play. So they watched his movements with awe.
"The man cub is very wise, with so many talents," one monkey said.
"Hey!" another monkey said. "Maybe he can be our leader!"
"Yes," another added. "Everybody in the jungle will envy us if he's our leader. Let's find a way to bring him to Monkey City!"
One hot afternoon the monkeys spotted Mowgli napping with Bagheera and Baloo.
"This is our chance to steal the man cub," a monkey whispered. "Let's go!"
A group of monkeys swooped down. The next thing Mowgli knew, hands were grabbing his legs and arms. Then the two strongest monkeys grabbed Mowgli and swung off. Branches scratched his face. Then he heard Baloo. The bear's loud cry woke up the entire jungle.
The monkeys just laughed. They flew through the treetops.
"Whoa!" Mowgli felt dizzy. Branches and leaves slapped his face. Bounding, crashing, whooping, and yelling, the whole tribe of monkeys swept through the jungle.
"Let me go!" Mowgli cried. They were up high in the trees. He was terrified that the monkeys would drop him. Then he grew angry and started to think.
"Baloo and Bagheera will try to find me," he thought. But the monkeys were traveling so fast, Mowgli's friends couldn't possibly catch up. How could he leave them a clue about where he was?
It was useless to look down. That made Mowgli dizzy. So he looked up. And there, far away in the blue sky, he saw Rann, the hawk. Rann was flying over the jungle, searching for something to eat.
Rann finally looked down and spotted the monkeys. "Hmm," he said. "Are those monkeys carrying something?" He swooped down to get a better look.
Mowgli, of course, knew all the languages of the jungle. He let out a loud whistle.
"Huh?" Surprised, Rann whistled back. "Mowgli? Is that you?"
"Rann! Follow me!" Mowgli shouted to the hawk. "Then tell Baloo and Bagheera where I am!"
***
Bagheera had climbed the tree after Mowgli, but the monkeys were too fast. Then the thin branches snapped beneath his weight. The panther slipped down, his claws full of bark.
Baloo had set off at a clumsy run. "Come on, Bagheera!"
"You couldn't catch a wounded cow at that pace," Bagheera said. "Sit still and let's make a plan."
Baloo dropped to the ground. "This is terrible!" he moaned, rolling around.
"Stop curling up like a porcupine," Bagheera snapped. "We need to figure out what to do."
"But . . ." Baloo gulped. "But Mowgli might be dead by now!"


The Jungle Book 7: Help from Kaa
"Mowgli is probably okay, Baloo," Bagheera said. "He's smart and you've taught him well." Bagheera licked a paw thoughtfully. "But we do need a plan to get him back."
"Well, that's a problem," Baloo said. "Because those monkeys aren't scared of either one of us. Hey!" He sat up with a jerk. "The monkeys are afraid of Kaa. Let's go talk to him!"
"I don't really like talking to the python. I'm not sure he's our friend. And . . ." Bagheera shuddered. "He has spooky eyes."
"Come on, Bagheera. Kaa is very cunning. Let's go see if he can help us."
Bagheera sighed. "Fine."
***
Kaa lay on a warm rock in the afternoon sun. His long body was twisted into coils and curves. He was admiring his new brown and yellow skin.
"Be careful, Bagheera," Baloo whispered as they approached. "Kaa is always a little blind after he has changed his skin. This makes him quick to strike."
Kaa was not a poisonous snake, but he was still very dangerous. He could coil tightly around someone in a deadly squeeze.
"Good day, Kaa!" Baloo called.
"Oh, Baloo, what are you doing here?"
"We came to ask for your help," the bear replied. "We need to find the monkeys. It's a bit of an emergency."
"Sss." Kaa let out a lazy hiss. "I'm tired and full. I'm in no mood to chase monkeys right now."
Baloo flashed a look at Bagheera. What if Kaa wouldn't help them?
"Um, Kaa . . ." Bagheera swallowed. "Did you know that the monkeys call you a footless yellow earthworm?"
Kaa's eyes flashed with anger. "They call me an earthworm ?"
"Something like that," Bagheera replied.
"And sometimes they make fun of you," Baloo chimed in. "They say you have no teeth. And you're afraid of goats' horns."
"What?" Kaa coiled up tightly. The big swallowing muscles on his throat rippled and bulged. "Why are you looking for the monkeys?"
"Well, as you know, I am the man cub's teacher," Baloo began. "He usually listens to me, but once, he—"
Bagheera was getting impatient. They didn't have time for long stories.
"The trouble is this, Kaa," he said, jumping in. "Those silly nut-stealers have stolen away the man cub."
"He's a wonderful man cub," Baloo said. "Mowgli is the smartest and boldest of all the man cubs in the world. I—we—love him, Kaa."
"Ssss!" Kaa wove his head back and forth. "The man cub belongs with you—not those monkeys. You are his family."
"That's why we're here," Bagheera said. "The monkeys are afraid of only one animal in the jungle—you."
"So we're hoping you'll help us find them," Baloo added. "Please."
"Those horrible monkeys chatter constantly," Kaa muttered. "And they are foolish and lazy." He swung toward Bagheera. "What do the monkeys call me—a yellow fish?"
Bagheera lowered his head. "A yellow earthworm. And other terrible names."
"I'm going to remind them to speak well of me!" Kaa snapped. "Where did they go?"
"We thought you might know, Kaa," Baloo said.
"I do know they moved to a different part of the jungle today." Kaa hissed. "I heard them laughing among the treetops earlier. But I—"
"Up! Up!" A sharp cry came from above.
Baloo looked up. Rann was flying across the sky.
"I have a message from Mowgli!" the hawk cried. "The monkeys have carried him deep into the jungle. He is now beyond the river—in Monkey City!"


The Jungle Book 8: Monkey City
Baloo grinned proudly as Rann flew off. "Mowgli remembered the hawk's language! And he found a way to send us a message."
"See?" Bagheera said. "I told you that he's very smart. But we'd better get to Monkey City right away."
Everyone knew where Monkey City was, but few jungle animals went there. It was an old deserted city, buried in the jungle. Only the monkeys liked to use places once used by people.
"It is half a night's journey—at full speed," Bagheera said, glancing at the old bear.
"I'll go as fast as I can," Baloo promised.
"We can't wait for you," Bagheera said. "Kaa and I will rush ahead. You can follow as best you can."
"I have no feet," Kaa said. "But I'm very fast. Let's go."
Baloo hurried after Kaa and Bagheera, but soon he stopped, panting. Bagheera kept running, while Kaa seemed to pour himself along the ground. The snake found the quickest route through the jungle with his steady eyes and followed it.
***
Mowgli looked around Monkey City. It was in ruins now. But some king had built it long ago. Trees grew in and out of marble walls, and wild vines hung from windows. There was a palace with no roof at the top of the hill. Below the palace were rows of houses and empty pits. Shattered domes from temples lay on the ground.
The monkeys called this place Monkey City. Yet they had no idea how to use the people's buildings. They sat inside the marble rooms and scratched for fleas. They raced along the terrace, shaking orange trees, just to watch the fruit fall. They drank and fought at the water tanks. Every once in a while, the monkeys got tired of the city. Then they went back to the treetops.
The monkeys reached the city late in the day. Instead of going to sleep after the long journey, the monkeys joined hands and danced. One monkey even made a long speech.
"This man cub is going to change monkey history!" he announced. "This boy will show us how to weave sticks together. We can create shelters."
With a sigh, Mowgli began to weave some sticks together. A few monkeys tried to do just what he was doing. But one by one, they got bored and jumped up. Some started pulling friends' tails. Others jumped around, singing.
Finally Mowgli gave up and put down the sticks. "I'm hungry!"
Twenty monkeys jumped up to bring him nuts. They started fighting on the way—and forgot all about the food.
"Baloo was right," Mowgli thought. "Monkeys have no laws and no leader. All they do is steal and sing. I'm going home!"
Mowgli jumped to his feet and headed toward the gate. But the monkeys quickly pulled him back.
"Oh no! You're staying with us!"
"Why do you want to leave?" a monkey said. "We're the most wonderful creatures in the jungle. We'll tell you all about how great we are!"
All the monkeys were gathering on the terrace to listen to the silly stories. Mowgli couldn't help laughing.
"I wonder if they ever sleep," he thought. He looked up to see a cloud sliding toward the moon. Soon it would be completely dark. He'd try again to escape then.


The Jungle Book 9: The Great Jungle Battle
Bagheera and Kaa finally reached the edge of Monkey City. They could see Mowgli in a circle with monkeys surrounding him.
The two friends slipped into a ditch.
"I wish Baloo was here," Bagheera whispered. "But we will do what we can." He looked up at the sky. "When that cloud covers the moon, I'll go to the terrace."
"Good luck," Kaa whispered. "I will go over the west wall." Then he glided away.

***
The monkeys were still giving boastful speeches.
Mowgli saw it was getting dark. Suddenly he heard something—Bagheera's light feet on the marble terrace. "It worked!" he thought with relief. "My plan worked!"
With a furious roar, the panther rushed forward. He darted right and left, striking monkeys. The startled creatures howled with fright and rage.
Finally a monkey managed to kick Bagheera. "There's only one attacker!" she shouted. "Let's get him!"
A mass of monkeys surrounded Bagheera. They were biting, scratching, tearing, and pulling. Meanwhile another group had grabbed Mowgli. They dragged him up the wall of a temple. Then they pushed him through a hole in its broken dome.
A boy raised by humans would have gotten hurt in the fall to the temple floor. But Mowgli fell exactly as Baloo had taught him. He landed on his feet.
"Stay in there," a monkey said. "We'll be back after we get rid of your friends!"
Now Mowgli could hear Kaa. He quickly gave the snake's call.
There were other snakes inside the ruins. They hissed back at him. "Stand still, Little Brother. Please don't step on us!"
Mowgli stood as quietly as he could, peering through a hole. He listened to the furious sound of Bagheera fighting.
"Baloo must be here too," Mowgli thought. Bagheera would not have come without him. "But right now Bagheera could use some help from me."
"Go to the water tank, Bagheera," he shouted. "Get to the water!"
Bagheera heard Mowgli's cry. "Thank goodness!" the panther thought, fighting his way toward the tanks. "The man cub is safe!"
Suddenly a shout rose. It was Baloo.
"Bagheera! I'm here!"
The old bear panted as he climbed the terrace. He threw himself onto his rear legs and held out his paws. Then he began to hit away monkeys. 
Bat-bat-bat!
Mowgli heard a crash, followed by a splash. Bagheera had made it to the water tank! The monkeys would not follow him in there.
The panther gasped for breath, his head just out of the water. Monkeys stood on the steps, dancing up and down with rage. They were ready to spring on him when he came out to help Baloo.
"Where's Kaa?" Bagheera thought. Had the snake left? He lifted his dripping chin and gave the snake's call.
It had taken Kaa a long time to get over the west wall. He coiled and uncoiled himself, to be sure that every bit of his long body was working. Meanwhile, Baloo fought some monkeys. Mang the bat flew back and forth over them all, carrying the news of the battle. Then Hathi the elephant trumpeted loudly, waking up birds and more monkeys. Jungle animals began racing toward Monkey City.
All at once Kaa came—ready to deliver a crushing blow. The python's first strike drove into the heart of the crowd around Baloo. He didn't need to strike again. For all at once the monkeys scattered.
"It's Kaa!" they cried. "Run!"


The Jungle Book 10: Under Kaa's Spell
"Ssss!" Kaa hissed as the monkeys ran in terror. Some of the monkeys had never met Kaa before. But they'd all heard stories about the terrifying python. He could slip along branches as quietly as moss grows.
As the monkeys fled, Baloo drew in a deep breath of relief. He was sore and battered after fighting them. Bagheera was hurt too. The panther climbed out of the water tank and shook out his wet fur.
"Let's get Mowgli before those monkeys attack again," Bagheera said.
"They will not attack again while I'm here!" Kaa hissed. "Where is the man cub anyway?"
"In here!" Mowgli danced around inside the dome. "I'm trapped!"
"Please get him out of here," said a snake at his feet. "He will crush our young."
"Stand back, Mowgli," Kaa ordered. The python looked carefully at the dome. Finally he spotted a crack in the marble. Then, lifting his body high above the ground, he smashed down again and again.
"Whoa!" Bagheera exclaimed as the marble shattered in a cloud of dust.
Mowgli leaped out and threw himself at Baloo and Bagheera.
"Are you okay?" Baloo asked.
"I'm sore and hungry," Mowgli replied. "But I'm fine."
Kaa stared at Mowgli. "So you're the man cub. Why, you look like a monkey!"
Mowgli bowed. "Thank you for saving my life and my friends' lives."
"It's nothing," Kaa said softly.
By now the moon had sunk behind the hills. Trembling monkeys huddled together on the wall and along the stone buildings. Kaa glided into the center of the terrace and closed his jaws with a snap. Terrified, the monkeys watched him begin a slow dance.
"This is my dance called the Hunger of Kaa. Sit still and watch me!" the snake commanded.
Kaa wove his head from right to left. He made slow loops with his body. His scales rustled.
Mowgli stood with Baloo and Bagheera. His eyes flicked from the monkeys to his friends. Everyone was watching the snake with wonder.
Kaa hissed. "Come closer, monkeys . . ."
The monkeys swayed forward helplessly. Baloo and Bagheera began to pitch forward too. Mowgli sprang toward them. "Come on!" he cried, yanking them away. "Let's get out of here!"
The two great beasts jumped as if Mowgli had just woken them from a dream. Then they ran a short distance away.
Bagheera glanced back at the snake and shuddered. "The monkeys aren't the only ones who are scared of Kaa. That snake makes me nervous."
Baloo shook out his fur. "It worked out fine. We have Mowgli again."
"True, but this little adventure cost us," Bagheera said sternly. "We're both injured. Which means we cannot hunt for several days. And we were forced to ask Kaa for protection." He glared at Mowgli. "We warned you about this. We told you it was foolish to play with the monkeys."
Mowgli looked down. "I'm sorry."
"He's very young," Baloo said. "And he's sorry for what he's done."
"Being sorry is not enough punishment for breaking the rules!" Bagheera replied. With that, he gave Mowgli some light taps on the shoulder.
"There," Bagheera said. "That's done."
According to the law of the jungle, a punishment settled things. There was no need to say anything more about Mowgli's mistake with the monkeys.
"Jump on my back, Little Brother," Bagheera said. "We will go home."
"Okay." Mowgli climbed onto Bagheera's back and lay down his head. Soon he was fast asleep.


The Jungle Book 11: Dangerous Enemies
After his return from Monkey City, Mowgli lived happily among the wolf pack. He grew taller and stronger. He hunted and swam. He sat in the sun, and he ate and slept—then ate and slept again.
At Council Rock the wolves often asked Mowgli to pull sharp thorns from their paws. Mowgli noticed something strange whenever he did it. If he stared at the wolves, they quickly looked away.
"That's odd," he thought. "Are the wolves afraid of me?"
***
Mowgli sometimes saw Shere Khan in the jungle. Mowgli tried to keep his distance. But many of the young wolves were growing loyal to Shere Khan. The tiger tossed them scraps of food. He praised them too.
"What fine, brave hunters you are!" Shere Khan purred. "I don't know why you let Akela lead you. He's getting so old and weak."
"Mowgli might lead the pack one day," a young wolf said. "The man cub is very smart."
"He can even remove thorns from our paws," another wolf said.
"That man cub again!" Shere Khan growled. "He is no better than any of you!"
Some of the wolves growled too. "You're right, Shere Khan. Mowgli is not even a wolf!"
Bagheera watched what was happening within the wolf pack. And he didn't like it.
"Mowgli, how many times have I told you that Shere Khan is your enemy?" he asked one afternoon. The two friends were lying on some leaves in the warm sun.
Mowgli laughed. "As many times as there are nuts on that tree!" He shook his head. Bagheera was always giving him warnings and advice.
"Well, listen carefully," Bagheera said. "Akela is getting old. Soon he will be too weak to lead the pack. That's when the younger wolves will take action. They will try to throw you out of the pack."
"They won't throw me out of the pack!" Mowgli was still laughing. "I live in the jungle. I obey its law. I even pull thorns from my brothers' and sisters' paws."
"Those things are true," Bagheera said firmly. "But you're not a wolf. You're a human. And someday you will live among them."
"I don't think so, Bagheera." Mowgli yawned. "Sometimes I go to the hill to look down at the people's village. But I never talk to the villagers. I don't hunt with them. Anyway, you've lived in the jungle for your whole life. You don't know anything about people."
The panther shifted his paws and looked away. "I'm sorry to say this," he said. "But most of the wolves hate you. They think you're wiser and stronger than they are. That's why they look away when you stare at them. They are your enemies."
"What?" Mowgli felt stung, as if a bee had landed on his skin. He leaped up. "I thought they were my friends! Bagheera, what should I do?"
"You must protect yourself," Bagheera said. "Akela is not going to be able to lead the pack for much longer. As soon as he fails at hunting, the young wolves will turn against him. They'll go to Council Rock, and—I've got it!" Bagheera smiled. "You must go down to the humans' village in the valley. Get some of the red flower, which they grow there."
"The red flower?" Mowgli repeated. Every beast in the jungle lived in fear of the humans' fire. "The red flower grows outside their huts at twilight. I could try to get some."
"Good!" Bagheera nodded. "Get it quickly and keep it nearby. When the time comes, you will be ready with a mighty weapon."


The Jungle Book 12: The Red Flower
Later Mowgli returned to the cave. Mother Wolf sensed something was wrong. "What is it, son?"
Mowgli didn't want to tell her about the other wolves. "Oh, some bat was chattering about Shere Khan. He's hunting nearby, so I think I'll hunt near the people's fields tonight." With that, Mowgli hurried away, racing downward through the bushes.
Near the stream at the bottom of the valley, he heard howls. The wolves were hunting.
"Spring, Akela!" a young wolf shouted. "Show your strength!"
Mowgli heard teeth snapping and then a yelp. Akela had sprung at something—and missed. Mowgli raced on toward the village.
Mowgli had never come this close to the village before. He slipped over to a hut and peered inside.
A red flower glowed along one wall. He watched a woman get up and blow on it. Then she fed it some sticks.
Mowgli sighed. The red flower was dangerous. What should he do?
He waited through the night. In the morning he saw a child pick up a pot. The boy filled it with lumps of the red-hot flower.
Mowgli laughed. "That small cub can handle the red flower," he thought. "So can I!"
He ran at the boy and grabbed the pot. Then he ran deep into the jungle. After some time he stopped to blow at the red stuff as the woman had done. "Now it's time to feed it." He dropped twigs and bark on the red flower. It quickly bloomed again.
Mowgli grinned. "I did it!"
Halfway up the hill he met Bagheera.
The panther looked worried. "Akela failed at last night's hunt. The wolves wanted to kill him, but they were looking for you instead."
"I was in the valley. I am ready to fight now." Mowgli held up the fire pot.
Bagheera nodded. "Good." Then he peered more closely at the red flower. "Are you afraid of that thing? It's dangerous when it blooms."
Mowgli shrugged. "I'm not afraid. In fact, I remember it from long ago. Before I was a wolf, I rested near the red flower. It was warm and pleasant."
***
That night Mowgli headed to the pack council. He stayed in the back so the wolves wouldn't see the fire pot.
Mowgli gulped when he saw the empty rock. Akela lay beside it, injured from the hunt. The pack was removing him as leader!
Shere Khan walked around the rock, young wolves trailing him. When everyone had gathered, Shere Khan began to speak.
"He has no right to speak here!" Bagheera whispered furiously to Mowgli.
Mowgli sprang to his feet. "Why is he—"
"Quiet, man cub!" some wolves yelled.
Akela slowly raised his head. "I'm weak and old. Another wolf must fight me to become the pack's new leader."
There was a long silence. None wanted to fight Akela.
"I want only the man cub," Shere Khan roared. "Give me the man cub, and I will leave your pack alone."
"Let the tiger take Mowgli!" a wolf yelled. "Mowgli is not a wolf!"
Akela lifted his head again. "Mowgli has eaten our food and slept with us. He has not broken the law of the jungle. He's our brother."
"No, he's a man!" the pack snarled. Shere Khan's tail flicked.
Bagheera glanced at Mowgli. "Now!"
Mowgli stood upright—showing the fire pot to the pack. "You've often told me that I am not a wolf. So I won't call you my sisters and brothers anymore!"
He flung the fire pot on the ground. Swiftly it bloomed into furious flames.


The Jungle Book 13: Farewell
Orange flames danced near the wolves. They backed away in terror.
"I'm leaving the jungle!" Mowgli yelled. "I'm going to live in the village. The humans will be kind to me." He stepped toward a pile of sticks. "Now I must pay a debt." He grabbed a stick and lit it from the fire. Then he marched toward Shere Khan and held the stick close to the tiger's fur.
"Remember this, Shere Khan." Mowgli growled. "The next time I come to Council Rock, I will be carrying your hide." He waved the burning stick even closer to the tiger. "And Akela goes free. You will not kill him!"
The fire burned furiously at the end of the stick. Mowgli waved it right and left, and the frightened tiger ran off. Most of the wolves ran off too, howling as sparks landed on their fur.
Akela and Bagheera hurried over to Mowgli. He was gasping in pain, and tears streamed down his face.
"What's happening to me, Bagheera?" he said. "Why do I feel so strange?"
"You are feeling deep sorrow, Little Brother. That is why you are crying. Only humans shed tears like yours."
Mowgli sat and cried for a while. Finally he got up. "I'm going back to the cave now. In the morning I will say farewell to Mother and Father Wolf."
***
The next day the young wolves howled miserably as Mowgli stood at the mouth of the cave.
"You won't forget me, will you?" Mowgli said.
"Never!" the one named Gray Brother promised. "Meet us at the bottom of the hill every once in a while. We can play with you there."
"We will miss you, Mowgli," Mother said softly.
"I will meet you soon," Mowgli promised. Then he left the cave and went down the hillside alone.
Mowgli walked for hours along a rough road that ran down the valley. At last, the road opened into a wide plain. The plain was dotted with big rocks and trees. Herds of cattle and buffalo grazed all over the plain. In the distance Mowgli could see a village.
Several children were in charge of the animal herds. When they saw Mowgli, they shouted in fear and ran away.
Hungry, Mowgli headed toward the village. When he reached the gate, a man came out. Mowgli opened his mouth and pointed down it to show that he was hungry.
The man stared in shock and spun around. He ran away, shouting for the priest.
Soon a big, fat man dressed in white came to the gate. He had a colorful mark on his forehead. Behind him was a huge crowd. They all stared and pointed at Mowgli.
"Humans have no manners," Mowgli thought. "Only monkeys behave like this!" He frowned at the crowd.
"There's nothing to be afraid of," the priest said to the crowd. He pointed to Mowgli. "Look at these marks on the boy's arms and legs. They are wolf bites. He has probably run away from the jungle."
"The poor child!" a few women said.
"He is a handsome boy," a woman said.
Suddenly one woman gasped. "Messua! He looks like your boy! The one who was stolen by the tiger!"
A woman with copper rings on her wrists and ankles stepped forward. She looked closely at Mowgli. "I'm not sure if he's my boy," she said at last. "But he does look like my son."
The priest threw up his arms. "What the jungle has taken, the jungle has returned! Take the child home, Messua."


The Jungle Book 14: A Surprise Visitor
Mowgli followed the woman into her hut. He felt nervous, but the woman seemed kind. Inside the hut was a bed. He also saw a large chest for storing grain and copper cooking pots. Hanging on the wall were images of gods and a tall glass.
When Mowgli stepped in front of the glass, he gasped. "Another boy lives here!" he thought in surprise. He lifted an arm. So did the boy in the glass. Mowgli wiggled his fingers. Again the boy did just what Mowgli was doing.
The woman laughed. She pointed from Mowgli to the mirror.
"Oh!" Finally Mowgli understood. "That's me in the glass!"
The woman gave him some milk and bread. Then she lay her hand on his head. "Nathoo? Do you remember the shoes I gave you?"
Mowgli shook his head, unable to understand.
The woman touched his foot. It felt as hard as an animal horn. "No," she said sadly. "These feet have never worn shoes. But you look like my Nathoo, and you shall be my son."
Mowgli had never been under a roof before. He climbed on a stool to touch the straw over his head.
The hut had a door and a window. But he could also rip the roof's straw if he felt trapped. That thought eased his mind. But something else was bothering him.
"I must learn the humans' language," he realized. "I cannot live with people if I don’t understand their words."
So as soon as Messua pronounced a word, Mowgli repeated it. Before dark he had learned the names of many things in the hut.
At bedtime Messua and her husband shut the door to the hut. Mowgli felt trapped. He quickly slipped through a window.
"I must fetch him!" Messua said.
Her husband stopped her. "Leave him alone," he said. "The boy has never slept on a bed before. If he is indeed our son, he won't run away."
Mowgli stretched out in some long grass at the edge of the field. Before he could close his eyes, a soft gray nose poked him.
"Gray Brother!" Mowgli cried in delight.
The wolf sniffed Mowgli. "Yuck!" he said. "This is a terrible reward for following you. You smell like wood smoke and cattle—human smells!"
Mowgli laughed. "Is everything okay?"
"Not exactly," Gray Brother replied. "I have news about Shere Khan. He's gone off to hunt for a while. But the red flower burned him badly. He promises to hunt you down when he returns. He wants to lay your bones in the river!"
"He doesn't scare me," Mowgli said. "I'm going to hunt him down one day! Even Mother Wolf says that's true."
Gray Brother looked worried. "Shere Khan is very dangerous, Mowgli. Be careful."
"I'll be careful." Mowgli yawned. "I'm so tired tonight. I learned many new things today. Please bring me more news soon." His eyes closed for a moment.
"You won't forget that you're a wolf, will you?" Gray Brother asked anxiously.
"Never," Mowgli promised. "I will always remember that I love you and our cave. But you must remember something, Gray Brother. The wolf pack cast me out."
"The man pack could cast you out too," Gray Brother said. "People are only people, Mowgli. Their talk is like the talk of frogs in a pond. It doesn't mean much."
Mowgli shrugged. His eyes closed again.
"I will let you sleep," Gray Brother said finally. "I'll come again in a few weeks. Look for me in the bamboo. It's at the edge of the people's fields."
"Okay," Mowgli whispered. "Good night."


The Jungle Book 15: Jungle Stories
For the next three months, Mowgli didn’t leave the village. He was too busy learning the ways and customs of humans. First he found out he had to wear clothing all the time.
"This is so annoying," he thought. His shirt felt itchy. His shoes pinched his toes.
Then he had to learn how to count money, which he didn't understand at all.
"Why do humans have to buy things from each other?" he asked Messua. "In the jungle you can just take what you want."
Messua laughed. "That's a good question," she said. "I don't have an answer for you."
On top of these things, the village children often made him angry. When they played games together, Mowgli stood by himself and watched.
The girl laughed at him. "The jungle boy doesn't know how to play any games!"
"He can't make a fire either," one of the boys added. "And he says the wrong words all the time."
Mowgli felt angry but he stayed quiet. Whenever he got mad, he tried to think of Baloo.
"The law of the jungle says, keep your temper," the old bear had taught him. "In the jungle your life and food depend on this."
Here in the village his life might depend on it too.
***
One night Mowgli joined the circle that formed every evening under a fig tree. The people met to tell stories and gossip. Monkeys sat in the fig tree's upper branches. They chattered away for hours too.
Mowgli listened as the people told tales about gods, humans, and ghosts. Buldeo was the village's chief hunter. He told long stories about all the beasts in the jungle. The children's eyes went wide as they listened to tales about panthers, elephants, and wild pigs.
Mowgli had to cover his face. He didn't want anyone to see him laughing at Buldeo's silly tales. But as Buldeo told one story after another, Mowgli couldn't help himself. The boy's shoulders shook with laughter.
Then Buldeo started a new ghost story. "This ghost lives inside a jungle tiger's body. It's the tiger who stole Messua's son."
"What?" Mowgli burst out. He couldn't sit there and stay quiet any longer. "The jungle tiger isn't a ghost. He's real. His name is Shere Khan."
Everyone turned to stare at Mowgli. Buldeo was speechless with surprise for a few moments. Then he glared at the boy. "Oh! The jungle brat is speaking up! If you're so wise, why don't you hunt down the tiger? There is a reward for his hide."
"I will hunt him down one day," Mowgli said under his breath.
The hunter sneered. "Well, from now on, keep your mouth shut when your elders are speaking."
A few minutes later, Mowgli got up. "I've been listening all evening," he said loudly. "And Buldeo has spoken only one or two words of truth."
As Mowgli left the circle, Buldeo puffed and snorted. "How dare the boy embarrass me like that!" the hunter said. "This is not something that I will forget."
That night the priest visited Messua and her husband. He said it was time to give Mowgli a job.
The next morning Mowgli was sent out with the other village children. From now on, he would help to herd the village's buffalo and cattle.


The Jungle Book 16: Shere Khan Returns
Several weeks passed. One morning Mowgli climbed onto Rama's back. Rama was the largest male in the herd of buffalo. The other animals began following Rama.
"Graze the cattle on your own today," Mowgli said to the other children. "I'm going to stay with the buffalo."
Mowgli led the buffalo to the edge of the plain. That was where the river came out of the jungle. Then he dropped off Rama's back and ran toward the bamboo.
Gray Brother was waiting there, just as Mowgli had hoped.
They greeted one another happily. But Gray Brother looked worried.
"Shere Khan came back to the jungle to wait for you. There was little food, so he left. He will come back soon, Mowgli. And this time he will kill you."
"When the tiger returns, wait for me in the ravine near the flowering tree." Mowgli pointed to a rock across the plain. "Until then, sit on that rock, where I can see you."
***
Every day Mowgli herded the buffalo. Day after day he saw Gray Brother sitting on the rock across the plain. Most days Mowgli just lay on the grass, listening carefully to the sounds as Father Wolf had taught him. If Shere Khan approached, Mowgli would surely hear him in the stillness.
One day Mowgli glanced at the rock. It was empty.
Quickly he herded the buffalo to the tree with the golden red flowers. There sat Gray Brother. Every hair on his back was standing up.
"Shere Khan has been hiding for a month," Gray Brother said. "But last night he crossed the plains with Tabaqui."
Mowgli frowned. "Tabaqui?" Mowgli was not afraid of Shere Khan. However, Tabaqui was another story. The jackal was very cunning.
"Have no fear. I met Tabaqui at dawn—and took care of him." Gray Brother licked his lips. "First he gave me some important information. Shere Khan plans to wait for you at the village gate tonight."
"Where's Shere Khan now?" Mowgli asked.
"He's in the big, dry ravine. The one along the river."
"Has he hunted yet today?" Mowgli asked. The answer could mean his own life or death.
"He ate a large meal at dawn," Gray Brother replied.
"Good." Mowgli was thinking aloud. "That means he'll be too full to move fast. If there were more of us, we could attack him. But these buffalo will not charge unless they smell him. And I cannot speak their language yet to explain things to them. Do you think we can pick up the tiger's scent? That way the buffalo can smell it."
Gray Brother shook his head. "Shere Khan traveled in the river. This leaves no scent."
"Tabaqui must have told him to do that. Shere Khan would not have thought of it alone." Mowgli stood with his finger in his mouth. "I can take the buffalo through the jungle to the head of the ravine. We can block that end . . . but Shere Khan will escape the other way. We must block the other end too." Mowgli looked at the wolf. "Can you take half of the animals and do that?"
"Not by myself, but . . . I have brought a wise helper." Gray Brother ran off and dropped into a hole. Seconds later a gray head popped up. The hot air filled with a familiar hunting howl.
Mowgli clapped his hands in delight. "Akela!"


The Jungle Book 17: In the Ravine
Mowgli explained his plan to Akela. Then Akela and Gray Brother got to work. The two wolves ran in and out of the herd of buffalo. They separated the herd into two groups. The females and young buffalo were in one group. They glared and pawed, ready to attack the wolves. The male buffalo stood together in the other group. They were bigger and looked more threatening. But Mowgli knew they were less dangerous than the females. The males had no young calves to protect.
Mowgli slipped onto Rama's back. "Akela, drive your herd left, toward the head of this big ravine. Gray Brother, drive the females to the ravine's other end. Keep them there till we come down."
Akela howled and his group took off. Gray Brother began to lead the females in the opposite direction.
Meanwhile some of the village children were watching the scene. They hurried home with the cattle as fast as their legs could carry them. "The buffalo have gone mad. They're running away!"
Mowgli's plan was simple. He planned to trap Shere Khan in the ravine, between the two herds. Shere Khan had just eaten a large meal. It would be hard for him to fight or climb up the sides of the ravine.
Mowgli rounded up the confused males at the head of the ravine. They stood on a grassy slope that led down to the ravine.
"Good," Mowgli thought, looking at the sides of the ravine. The sides ran nearly straight up and down. Thick vines hung over them. That would make it even harder for the tiger to climb out.
Mowgli held up a hand to signal Akela. Then he put his hands to his mouth and shouted down the ravine. "Shere Khan!" Echoes jumped from rock to rock.
A snarl echoed back. "Who calls me?"
"It's me—Mowgli!" He turned to Akela. "Bring the herd down now! Down, Rama, down!" he commanded the buffalo.
The male herd stood at the edge of the slope. Akela gave a hunting yell, and they fell forward. They fell, one after the other, like boulders crashing down during a flood.
In the ravine Rama quickly caught Shere Khan's scent. Now the buffalo knew what their job was—it was a charge against a tiger.
Shere Khan first heard a thunder of hooves. He picked himself up and looked from side to side, trying to find a way out of the ravine. But its walls were straight and full of twisting vines. And he was still sleepy and heavy from his large meal.
The stampede splashed through a pool of water. The animals bellowed loudly. Mowgli heard a reply from the females at the other end of the ravine. Shere Khan turned to look toward the females too. Then the tiger whirled back toward the males. The tiger knew by instinct that it was better to face them than any protective mothers.
Just then Rama tripped and stumbled. The beasts behind him crashed hard into the approaching females. Soon both herds were charging through the ravine, stamping and snorting as they ran.
Mowgli slipped off Rama's neck. "Quick, Akela! Break them up before they start fighting one another."
Akela and Gray Brother ran around the buffalo, trying to separate them. Suddenly the herd turned toward Mowgli. They were ready to charge through the ravine again.
But Mowgli held up his hand. Shere Khan was already dead. Soon hungry birds would be coming for him.


The Jungle Book 18: Jungle Sorcerer
The dead tiger lay at Mowgli's feet. "We must work fast," Mowgli said to Akela and Gray Brother. "I want to lay the tiger's hide at Council Rock."
They got to work preparing the hide. Suddenly the wolves dashed off, and Mowgli felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder. Buldeo stood there with his gun.
"That tiger's hide belongs to me!" the hunter growled. "There's a big reward for it."
Mowgli rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you're planning to give me some of the reward."
"I'm the chief hunter," Buldeo said. "I'm not going to give you any of the reward. You caught the tiger only because of dumb luck." He stooped over Shere Khan, looking at the tiger closely.
"This tiger and I are old enemies," Mowgli said. Then he waved an arm. "Akela!"
Seconds later Buldeo found himself lying on the grass. A large gray wolf stood over him.
Buldeo blinked in surprise. Mowgli had summoned a wolf!
"This is magic of the worst kind!" he thought. Terrified, he lay as still as a stone. What if Mowgli summoned more wolves? Or he turned himself into a wolf or tiger?
"Great King," Buldeo said at last in a whisper.
"Yes?" Mowgli grinned. Now the hunter was afraid of him.
"I'm an old man. I didn't know that you were a powerful sorcerer. May I get up? Will your wolf tear me to pieces?"
"Go. But from now on, leave me alone," Mowgli replied. "Let him go, Akela," he commanded.
Buldeo limped away to the village as fast as he could. Every few minutes he looked back nervously. When he got to the village, he told the villagers about what he'd seen.
***
Mowgli and the others finished preparing the tiger's hide. Mowgli hid it near a tree. Then he gathered the buffalo herd and took them back to the village. As he approached, bells clanged loudly. Half the village seemed to be waiting for him by the gate.
"The villagers are happy that I killed the tiger," Mowgli said to himself proudly. "They must be waiting to thank me!"
Instead a shower of stones whistled past Mowgli's ears. Angry shouts rose.
"Sorcerer!"
"Jungle demon!"
"Shoot him, Buldeo!"
The old gun went off with a bang. But the bullet missed Mowgli—striking a buffalo instead.
"The boy just used magic again!" a villager shouted. "He turned that bullet around with magic!" The villagers threw more stones at Mowgli.
He ducked, trying not to panic.
Akela and Gray Brother ran to his sides. "This is just like the wolf pack," Akela said. "They want you gone, Mowgli."
"Last time I was told to leave because I'm a human." Mowgli sighed. "This time it is because I am a wolf!"
Just then Messua ran out from the crowd. "My son! Are the stories about your magic true?"
Mowgli ducked as more stones whizzed by his head. "I'm not a sorcerer, Messua. You know that."
"You must go away before they hurt you!" she said.
A few people pumped their fists in the air. "Get away from the sorcerer, Messua!" they shouted. "Come back here, or we will stone you too!"
Mowgli quickly hugged Messua. He thanked her for her kindness to him. Then he and the two wolves ran away from the people's village.


The Jungle Book 19: Return to Council Rock
The moon was going down when Mowgli reached the wolves' cave. He was carrying Shere Khan's hide.
"Mowgli?" Mother's eyes glowed. "We all knew you'd hunt Shere Khan one day. Well done!"
A deep voice came from some shrubs. "Well done indeed!" Bagheera ran toward them. "Mowgli, the jungle has been lonely without you."
Soon the group of friends climbed up the hill to Council Rock.
Mowgli spread the hide out on the flat stone at the top of Council Rock. As the wolves gathered, Mowgli beckoned Akela to lie on the hide.
"Look well, oh, wolves!" Akela called loudly.
The wolf pack had been without a leader for a while now. Many of the wolves were thin and hungry. Some were sick or wounded.
Out of habit, they answered Akela's call. They stared in surprise when they saw the tiger's striped hide on the rock.
A few gasped. "Shere Khan!" They looked toward Mowgli.
"I have kept my word," the boy said proudly.
A skinny wolf howled. "Please, Akela, lead our pack again. We are hungry and tired of living without laws."
Bagheera grunted near Mowgli's ear. "This is what the wolves say now. When they are well-fed again, they will not listen to Akela or anyone."
Mowgli nodded. He didn't trust these wolves either.
***
Later Mowgli returned to the cave. He slept for a day and a night, his heart feeling oddly heavy. When he awoke, Akela was visiting. So were Baloo and Bagheera.
Everyone wanted to hear the story about the victory over Shere Khan again.
"Akela and Gray Brother were a big help," Mowgli said. "You should have seen the buffalo pouring down the ravine!"
"Well, I'm glad that I didn't see the humans throwing stones at you." Mother Wolf frowned. "I would have hunted all of them. Except for the kind woman who took care of you."
"Calm down, Mother," Father Wolf said lazily. "Mowgli has come back again. What else matters?"
Mowgli lay his head on Mother Wolf's side. "For my part, I never want to see or hear or smell humans again."
Akela tilted his head to look at Mowgli. "What if the humans don't leave you alone, Little Brother?"
Gray Brother growled softly. Bagheera twitched his tail and glanced at Akela. "What made you say that?" he asked.
"After last night's council, I went home along the trail," Akela answered. "I saw Mang the bat. He told me that the humans' village has been humming like a bees' nest."
"So?" Mowgli shrugged. "The humans are often busy."
"So, the bat saw the red flower blooming at the village gate. He also saw some men sitting near it. They were holding guns." Akela looked Mowgli in the eye. "And I believe I smelled a man along our trail this morning."
"They are hunting you, Mowgli," Bagheera said.
"But they threw me out of their pack!" Mowgli said. "Why can't they just leave me alone?"
"You're a human, Little Brother," Akela replied softly. "We are animals. We cannot explain your kind to you."
Mowgli looked down. He didn't know what to say.
"What's that?" Bagheera sprang to his feet. He sniffed the air. His body stiffened.
Gray Brother did the same thing, sniffing the wind that was blowing from the right.
"It's a human's scent!" Bagheera said.


The Jungle Book 20: News About Messua
Mowgli could smell things better than most humans could. But he did not have a true jungle nose. So it took him longer to find the scent.
"It's Buldeo!" he whispered. "He must have followed my trail. I can see the sunlight glinting off his gun. Look!"
There was just a quick flash of light among some shrubs. But they all saw it.
The four young wolves suddenly ran downhill.
"Where are you going?" Mowgli said.
"Hunting!" Gray Brother answered. "Come on with us!"
"I can't. Humans do not hunt other humans!" Mowgli called after them.
Akela gazed at him, and Mowgli looked away.
"Let's just find this man and see what he wants," Bagheera said.
Mowgli ran forward, darting noiselessly through the jungle behind the young wolves. The others followed. Sure enough, when Mowgli pushed aside some bushes, there was Buldeo. His gun on one shoulder, the hunter trotted along the path. Abruptly he halted, looking at the ground in confusion.
Akela chuckled softly from beside Mowgli. "This morning I added some prints to the trail. They're going in all different directions."
"No wonder Buldeo is confused," Mowgli whispered with a grin.
Finally the hunter grunted and sat down. He had no idea that Mowgli and the animals were nearby, watching him. He muttered angrily to himself.
"What is he saying?" Bagheera asked Mowgli.
He quickly translated Buldeo's words. "He says, 'packs of wolves must have danced round me. I never saw a trail like this!' Now he's complaining about being tired and hungry."
Buldeo ate some nuts. Soon some other men wandered along the trail. They sat down for a rest too. Buldeo began telling them some wild stories.
Mowgli nearly laughed aloud as he listened. Buldeo was telling the men that he had killed the great tiger, Shere Khan. Then he said that a boy had turned himself into a wolf.
"I fought with him all afternoon," the hunter said. "I think he used magic on my gun."
"What makes you say that?" one of the men asked.
"A bullet meant for him suddenly spun around. It went into one of my own buffalo! I'm the chief hunter. So my village has sent me to hunt him down."
Mowgli's friends glanced over, worried. However, Mowgli was still grinning. "His stories are ridiculous. But the other men believe him!"
"Meanwhile the villagers have locked up Messua and her husband," Buldeo was saying. "They are sorcerers too. In fact, they are the worst kind because they were raising this wolf child. They will be punished—perhaps even burned to death."
The men gasped. "When?" one asked.
"Nothing will be done until I return with the boy's dead body," Buldeo replied. "By the way, I have reason to think he's nearby. Have you seen him?"
Bagheera glanced at Mowgli again. He noticed that the boy's expression had changed.
"What are the men saying?" the panther whispered.
With a grim look, Mowgli translated. He explained the villagers had trapped Messua and her husband.
"What?" Gray Brother shook his head in confusion. "Humans trap each other?"
"So Buldeo says." Mowgli scowled. "I cannot understand all his talk—people are crazy. But I do know this: Messua and her husband have done nothing wrong. All they did was feed me and shelter me."
Mowgli listened to Buldeo some more. His expression grew more and more determined. "I am going back to the village. I won't let them kill Messua!"


The Jungle Book 21: Mowgli's Two Mothers
The animals tried to stop Mowgli. But he was already racing toward the village. By twilight he reached the grazing grounds. Fear jumped up in his throat. Everyone was in from the fields early. Instead of preparing dinner, people were gathered under the fig tree. They were shouting angrily.
Mowgli crept to Messua’s hut. Peeking through a window, he saw Messua's husband tied to the bed. Messua lay on the floor, bound and gagged. She was breathing hard and groaning in pain.
Mowgli gasped. Messua had been badly beaten!
Mowgli knew the habits of the villagers well. As long as the people could eat and talk, they would stay under the tree. But they would come when Buldeo returned to the village—without Mowgli.
He slipped through the window of the hut. Bending over Messua and her husband, he cut their ties.
Messua looked like she was in terrible pain. Mowgli put his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming.
"I knew you would come," Messua sobbed. "I knew you were my son!"
"Who did this to you?" Mowgli demanded.
"The whole village," Messua's husband answered. "They think we are rich sorcerers who are using magic."
Mowgli was confused by all the talk about magic. "What is a sorcerer exactly?"
"See!" Messua said to her husband. "He's no sorcerer. He's my son!"
"Son or sorcerer, what does it matter?" the man answered. "We're going to die."
Mowgli pointed through the window. "You're free now. Go."
"Go where?" Messua's eyes were wide and frightened. "We don't know the jungle well. And I'm injured. I can't walk very fast."
"The villagers will follow us," her husband added. "It's hopeless."
From outside, Mowgli heard shouting and trampling. "It sounds like Buldeo has returned. Think about where you will go. I'll be right back."
He bounded through the window and crept back to the tree. Buldeo lay on the ground, coughing and groaning. The crowd was yelling out questions.
"Did you kill the boy?"
"Did he use magic again?"
Buldeo mumbled something and then called for water. "First a drink. Then I'll tell you my story."
"Bah!" Mowgli said to himself. "All humans do is talk. They'll be under the tree forever!" Mowgli returned to the hut. Just as he reached the window, he felt a soft touch on his foot. "Mother Wolf!"
"I followed you into the village, Mowgli. I wanted to see the woman who took care of you."
"The villagers plan to kill her!" Mowgli quickly explained. "Messua must escape through the jungle."
"I will protect her," Mother said. She slipped back into the darkness to await Mowgli's instructions.
***
Messua and her husband had decided to go to the next village. It would take hours to get there.
Mowgli helped them through the window. In the starlight the jungle looked dark and dangerous.
"Do you know the way?" he whispered.
The couple nodded.
"Good. Don't be afraid. I promise—the jungle will protect you. Go now and travel slowly. There's no need to hurry."
Tears streaming down her cheeks, Messua hugged Mowgli good-bye. Then they headed into the dark jungle. Mother Wolf silently followed.
Soon someone else appeared. "Bagheera!" Mowgli quickly explained the situation. "Buldeo is still telling stories to the villagers. However, he will stop talking, and then the people will come. What will we do when the humans find this trap empty?"
"Hmm." Bagheera thought for a moment. "I have an idea."


The Jungle Book 22 : The Jungle Grows Back
At last Buldeo finished telling his stories. The villagers left the fig tree. They rushed toward Messua's hut, waving clubs and knives. They all carried torches.
"Let's burn down the sorcerers' hut!" people yelled angrily.
The crowd reached the hut and tore off the door. Everyone expected to see Messua and her husband trapped inside. Instead, stretched out on the bed with his paws crossed, was a fierce black panther.
Bagheera slowly raised his head, flashing sharp white teeth.
The villagers screamed. Then, in a panic, they scrambled to get outside. They raced to their huts and slammed shut the doors.
Mowgli stepped out of the shadows and grinned. "That was a good plan, Bagheera!"
"Thank you," the panther said proudly as he licked his paws. "The villagers won't come out until daylight. Let's get some rest now."

***

When Mowgli woke the next day, he saw Rann, the hawk.
"I have a message from Mother Wolf," the bird called. "Messua and her husband are safe in the new village. It is near a marsh."
Mowgli waved happily. "Thank you!" Then he went off to tell Bagheera.
"The people are still huddled indoors," Bagheera said. "Why don't we go hunting and forget about them?"
Mowgli shook his head. "I'm sorry, Bagheera. I have to finish what I started. It's the law of the jungle. Those who break rules must be punished, remember?"
Bagheera shrugged.
"Where can I find Hathi?" Mowgli asked.
"Hathi?" Bagheera said. "I don't know. He feeds wherever he wants."
"Can you find him and bring him to me?"
Bagheera gave Mowgli a puzzled look. "I can't give orders to the master of the jungle."
"Please, Bagheera." Then Mowgli had an idea. "If Hathi won't come, say these words: the sacking of the fields. Trust me, that will make him follow you."
"'The sacking of the fields'?" Bagheera repeated the words until he remembered them. Then off he ran.

***


It was dark when Bagheera finally returned. To Mowgli's relief, Hathi was with him. The elephant's three sons trailed after them.
"Hello, Mowgli!" Hathi called. Mowgli greeted the old elephant. Then he turned to Bagheera.
"I'm going to tell you a story about a wise elephant," Mowgli said.
Bagheera looked startled, but he gave Mowgli a nod.
"This elephant once got caught in a hunter's trap." Mowgli glanced at Hathi. In the moonlight everyone could see a long white scar on his side. It looked as if someone had hit him with a red-hot whip.
"Men came to take him from the trap," Mowgli continued. "But he was very strong and broke free of the ropes. He went away until his wound healed. Then one night he came back with some other elephants." He looked at Hathi. "What happened next?"
Hathi finished the story. "We stomped on the men's fields. We ate their crops. We tore the roofs off their huts. And then . . ." He paused. "We let the wild jungle in. It grew back and swallowed up everything." Mowgli nodded, satisfied.
The elephant swung his trunk to look at him. "How did you know about the sacking of the fields?"
"Buldeo told that story one night," Mowgli said. "I guess he tells the truth once in a while."
"What do you want from me?" Hathi asked.
"The people living in this village are cruel," Mowgli explained. "They hurt Messua and her husband. They were planning to kill me. And then they were going to kill Messua with the red flower. It's only right to punish them."
Bagheera shivered and dropped down low. Now he understood why Mowgli had sent for Hathi.


The Jungle Book 23: The March of the Elephants
The next day Hathi lifted his trunk. "Let's go!" he called, and then he and his three sons set out. The elephants marched in different directions. They reached the villagers' fields and marched around for days. They stomped on grass, crops, tools—and anything else they found.
At first the other jungle creatures watched the elephants' march from a distance. Then birds flew over the jungle, spreading the news.
"Food! Food for everyone!"
Soon herds of deer, pigs, and porcupines joined the elephants. They all began eating what was left of the crops.
Baloo came and found some tasty roots. "Delicious!"
Other animals knocked down barley and drank from the tank of water. Birds flew down for seeds and grain. Monkeys scattered as the python Kaa slithered into the valley. He was hungry too.
On and on, round and round the fields, the elephants marched. Soon the people in the village grew desperate from hunger.
"There are no more crops," a villager said. "We must look for food in the jungle."
A group of people entered the jungle to look for nuts. But shadows with glaring eyes spooked them, and they ran out.
By the time the rainy season came, the four elephants had finished their work in the fields. They began marching toward the villagers' huts.
"What are they doing now?" Bagheera asked Mowgli.
"They're going to rip off the huts' roofs," Mowgli said.
Most of the villagers had already left to find new homes. Now it was time for the rest to go.
***
A month later Mowgli and Bagheera returned to the village. The place was covered with mounds of grass and thick weeds. Six months later the two of them came back again. By now the jungle had roared back.
"It's just as I imagined, Bagheera," Mowgli whispered. The wild jungle had swallowed up every trace of the people's village.
***
After the elephants' march, Mowgli returned to the wolves' cave. He had found a way to punish the villagers for their cruelty. According to the law of the jungle, this punishment settled things. Yet Mowgli was restless and unhappy. He didn't feel hungry and he rarely slept.
"What's wrong with me?" he wondered.
One hot day Mowgli was splashing in the river. Suddenly eager to escape, he took off through the jungle, leaping from tree to tree. He ran all afternoon—singing, swimming, and hunting. At last he found himself in a strange part of the jungle. Near a marsh at the outskirts of a village, he heard several dogs barking.
"A man pack!" Mowgli thought. Curious, he crept toward the sound of the barking dogs. They were pacing around in front of a hut. Mowgli growled like a wolf, and they instantly stopped barking.
Then a woman came to the door. She wore copper bracelets, and her hair was slightly gray. "Who's there?" she called. Her voice shook with fear. "Is it another jackal?" she asked the dogs.
As he gazed at her, Mowgli felt himself begin to shake too. The woman looked a bit older, but he knew her voice. In fact, he knew it well!
"Messua?" he called. He stepped out of the tall grass that had been hiding him.
The woman gasped and put a hand on her heart. "Nathoo? Is that you—my son?"


The Jungle Book 24: Bagheera's Secret
That night Mowgli stayed with Messua in her hut. As they ate dinner, she told him that her husband had died. "But you saved our lives that night, Mowgli." Her eyes filled with grateful tears. "And we have had a good life here. There's a village nearby, and I am content."
In the morning Mowgli got ready to go.
"Please visit again," Messua whispered, hugging him. "I love you."
Mowgli's throat felt tight. "I love you too, Messua. And I will come back soon. I promise."
As he headed toward the marsh, a large beast jumped out of the tall grass.
"Bagheera!" Mowgli said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I followed you," Bagheera replied.
"Again?" Mowgli laughed and shook his head. "You're always following me. So are Mother Wolf and Gray Brother."
Bagheera looked nervous. "Are you . . . Are you coming back to the jungle?" he asked. "I . . . I thought you might stay here with the woman."
Mowgli shook his head. "I don't think I belong with people, Bagheera. The man pack threw me out—remember? Just like the wolf pack."
Bagheera studied Mowgli for a second. Then he lifted his chin. "Feel under my jaw."
Mowgli obediently put his fingers under Bagheera's silky chin. The panther's fur covered thick muscles. Then Mowgli touched a bare patch. "What's this?" he asked.
"It is the mark of a collar," Bagheera said. "No one in the jungle knows this—I was also born among people, Mowgli. I lived in a cage at the king's palace."
"What?" Mowgli blinked in surprise. Bagheera had lived with humans too?
"That's why I spoke for you at the council when you were a little cub," Bagheera went on. "My mother died in the cages at the palace. After that, I had no family there, and . . ."
Mowgli couldn't imagine the beautiful, strong panther trapped in a cage. "The cage must have felt like prison."
"It was a prison," Bagheera said. "I lived there without ever seeing the jungle. Then one night I mysteriously found my strength. I told myself I was a panther—not a plaything for people. And I broke the silly lock with one blow of my paw."
Mowgli grinned. That was something he could picture Bagheera doing.
"Now you know my secret, Little Brother. I returned to the jungle where I belonged. As for you . . ." Bagheera paused. "You are a human. So one day you too will return to where you belong."
"Nope. Sorry, Bagheera, but you're wrong." Mowgli shook his head firmly. "I won't ever live with people again. I'll visit Messua, but that's about it." He patted the panther. "And when I'm older and on my own, I'll come back to visit you and Baloo—"
Just then a girl in a flowing white dress appeared on the path. Mowgli and Bagheera ducked behind some bushes. As the girl passed, Mowgli moved the bushes with his hand. He watched the girl walk toward the marsh.
"The boy is both man and wolf," Bagheera thought, watching him tenderly. "But one day he will become more man than wolf."
The girl disappeared, and Bagheera nudged Mowgli with his nose. "Ready to go home, Little Brother?"
"Yes." Mowgli leaped onto the panther's back. Then together they went back into the jungle.