The Jungle Book extends far beyond the legend of Mowgli, telling the tales of animals and humans of all walks of life. Mowgli’s upbringing and triumph over Shere Khan dominates the text, but Kipling offers several other stories to satiate readers who would rather not move on after Mowgli’s story ends.
Notable Excerpts
“Each dog barks in his own yard!”
O thou Mowgli—for Mowgli the Frog I will call thee
“We be of one blood, ye and I,”
They have no manners, these Men Folk,” said Mowgli to himself.
My heart is heavy with the things that I do not understand.
…but a plainsman who lives in a hut knows only the four walls of his hut.
When an Indian child’s heart is full, he does not run about and make a noise in an irregular fashion. He sits down to a sort of revel all by himself.
It is better to lie quiet in the mud than to be disturbed on good bedding
“I know just enough to be uncomfortable, and not enough to go on in spite of it.”
“Now,” said he, “in what manner was this wonderful thing done?”
And the officer answered, “An order was given, and they obeyed.”
“But are the beasts as wise as the men?” said the chief.
“They obey, as the men do. Mule, horse, elephant, or bullock, he obeys his driver, and the driver his sergeant, and the sergeant his lieutenant, and the lieutenant his captain, and the captain his major, and the major his colonel, and the colonel his brigadier commanding three regiments, and the brigadier the general, who obeys the Viceroy, who is the servant of the Empress. Thus it is done.”
“Would it were so in Afghanistan!” said the chief, “for there we obey only our own wills.”
“And for that reason,” said the native officer, twirling his mustache, “your Amir whom you do not obey must come here and take orders from our Viceroy.”