The Jungle Book
Rudyard Kipling
The Jungle Book
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"The Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling is a collection of stories published in 1894. The tales follow Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves in the Indian jungle, alongside animal characters like Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear. Through these fables, Kipling explores themes of abandonment and fostering, law and freedom, and the balance between civilization and wildness. The stories teach lessons about respect for authority while celebrating the freedom to move between different worlds, using animals as archetypes for human nature and society.
About the book
Published in 1894, The Jungle Book is a collection of stories by Rudyard Kipling, most of them set in the forests of India. The best known follow Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves, who is taught the Law of the Jungle by Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther and hunted by the tiger Shere Khan. Alongside the Mowgli stories are others, including Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, about a mongoose who defends a family from two cobras, and The White Seal, about a seal searching for a safe home for his people. Each story is followed by a poem. Kipling wrote the book while living in Vermont, drawing on his Indian childhood.
Characters
Mowgli — Man-cub
A human boy raised by wolves and taught the Law of the Jungle.
Baloo — Bear
The sleepy brown bear who teaches the wolf cubs the Law.
Bagheera — Black panther
A cunning, fearless panther who speaks for Mowgli at the wolves’ council.
Shere Khan — Tiger
The lame tiger who claims Mowgli as his prey.
Akela — Wolf leader
The great grey wolf who leads the Seeonee pack.
Kaa — Python
An ancient, powerful rock python feared by the monkeys.
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi — Mongoose
A brave young mongoose who defends an English family’s garden against cobras.
Kotick — White seal
A rare white seal who searches the seas for a beach where hunters never come.