The Characters
MOWGLI or THE LITTLE FROG FATHER WOLF and MOTHER WOLF
The MAN'S CUB
AKELA, The SENIOR WOLF BAGHEERA and BALOO
LEADER of THE WOLF PACK The BLACK PANTHER and The BROWN
BEAR
SHERE KHAN
THE TIGER
The Story
Stories from The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Mowgli
Now Rann, the Kite, brings home the night
That Mang, the Bat, sets free —
[...]
Oh, hear the call! — Good hunting all
That keep the Jungle Law!
NIGHT-SONG IN THE JUNGLE
1. Mowgli’s Family
This is the story of Mowgli, a little brown boy adopted by a family of wolves.
It was seven o’clock in the jungle. It was warm and the moon was shining. In a cave, a family
of wolves woke up.
“Augrh!” said Father Wolf, “it’s time to hunt again.”
“Hush! Quiet! Can you hear that?”said Mother Wolf. “Something’s coming! Get ready!”
Seconds later, a little brown boy -about two years old- was standing at the wolves’ cave.
“Is… Is that a man’s cub? I don’t believe it!” said Mother Wolf. “How little! How naked… and
how brave!”
The little boy got in the cave and joined the four baby wolves. Just at that moment, Mother
Wolf decided to keep the baby. “Oh, you little frog!” she said. “Mowgli! Your name’s Mowgli…
Mowgli, the Little Frog.”
2. Mowgli’s Enemy
Mother Wolf and Father Wolf protect the baby from Shere Khan, the lame hungry tiger.
Soon, Shere Khan showed up at the cave.
“The man’s cub is mine. Give it to me!” he roared.
“No!” Mother Wolf said. “He’s no tiger’s food. He’s a baby! And he has a family now.”
“You, thief!” roared the tiger, “It’s me, Shere Khan!”
Father Wolf stepped in and said: “You listen to me, Shere Khan! The Law of the
Jungle is clear: Man is no food.” Then, Father Wolf continued: “The boy can stay now. In time,
the Wolf Pack will decide his destiny.”
3. Mowgli and the Wolf Pack
At the Council, Mowgli is accepted by the members of the Wolf Pack.
At the time of the full moon, forty or fifty Wolves met at the Council Rock: fathers, mothers,
young wolves and senior wolves all in a circle. In the center, all the baby
wolves and Mowgli are ready for the ceremony.
Akela, the Great Wolf and Leader of the Pack, announces: “Look—look well! Look well, Oh
Wolves!”
During the ritual, the new members are inspected, accepted and admitted.
Just then… Shere Khan roared: “Wolves! The man-cub is mine. Give it to me.”
“You know the Law—you know the Law!” Akela said. “Two residents can save the man’s
cub. Speak or pay for him.”
Baloo, the Brown Bear, spoke: “I’ll be his teacher.” Next, Bagheera, the Black Panther said:
“I’ll pay for him with a dead bull.”
“Well,... Mowgli can stay,” Akela said. “Let him run with the Pack!”
4. Mowgli’s Friends
Baloo and Bagheera teach Mowgli how to live and survive in the forest.
Baloo and Bagheera were excellent teachers. The Brown Bear taught him how to
get nuts and roots and honey. The Black Panther showed him the tricks and traps of Men.
More important, Baloo and Bagheera taught him the Law of the Jungle.
As for Mowgli, he was an excellent student. He learned to run, climb and swim very fast. He
was really good at hunting with the Wolf Pack. He also learned the Master Words of the
Jungle to speak to Snakes, Birds and Wild Beasts.
The three friends had the spirit of adventure. One time, they escaped from the Bandar-Log,
the Monkey People, thanks to Kaa, the Rock Snake. Time passed... And ten happy years went
by…
5. Mowgli and the Red Flower
Ten years later, Mowgli has to leave the jungle.
“There’s a full moon tonight,” The Black Panther said, “Shere Khan is back, Mowgli…
to kill you.”
“That’s not a problem, Bagheera. I have you, I have Baloo and I have the Pack,” Mowgli said.
“You have Akela… and ten or twelve friends in the Pack,” Bagheera said. “The rest are
with Shere Khan.”
There was a long silence.
“Listen to me, Little Brother,” Bagheera said, “there’s little time. Go to the village, get the Red
Flower and run back fast.”
The Red Flower was the name for fire, Mowgli’s protection against
the Tiger. Mowgli followed the plan. He ran to the village and got the Red Flower in a fire-pot.
Then, he ran back to the Council Rock.
“I’m Mowgli! And this is my home!” said the boy.
Shere Khan and the Wolves watched the Red Flower in terror:
“See, Wolves? He's a Man! A Man!” said the Tiger. And he ran away without
a fight.”
Now, Mowgli had to say goodbye. Goodbye to old Akela, goodbye to Mother
Wolf and goodbye to Father Wolf. Goodbye to Baloo and goodbye to Bagheera. His eyes were
full of tears.
“What is it? What is it? Am I dying, Bagheera?” he asked.
“No. It’s only tears, Little Brother. You are a Man now,” Bagheera said, “Goodbye, my friend.”
