The Jungle Book Book

"For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack."
The Jungle Book ~~ Rudyard Kipling



Kipling, Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, & I have been on a long journey together. I started The Jungle Book nearly ten years ago. I lost my copy when I moved from the west coast to Chicago, found it again, picked up where I left off, lost it again when I moved to Wisconsin, and found it again in 2014. Since then, it's lingered on my nightstand waiting for me to join Mowgli again on his jungle adventures until last week.



These stories are absolutely beautiful. It comes as no surprise that Kipling considered himself a poet first, for these stories are truly poetic. Kipling's writing style is beautifully lyrical. His language flows with a whimsicalness. Reading these stories, I felt that Kipling appreciated the sound of language as much as its ability to convey a message. One thing I must clear up is the perception that this is a children's book. Disney be damned, this is not a children's book. It is ideal for young adults, but this is no children's book.



From the start, I felt I really lived this book. Mowgli and I ran through the jungle together with our fellow wolf cubs to listen to Akela at the Council Rock. Bagheera and Baloo became my mentors and Kaa my trusted friend.

Kipling's magic was always rooted in the reality of common life. All over India there were tales of a child reared by a wolf pack. In the background to the stories, village life goes on with its lazy rhythms - buffalo wading through the shallows, women going to the well, and the man pack exploring the jungle.



I loved the non-jungle stories as well:

The White Seal -- Kotick, a rare white-furred northern fur seal, searches for a new home for his people, where they will not be hunted by humans.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi -- Rikki-Tikki the mongoose defends a human family living in India against a pair of cobras.

Toomai of the Elephants -- Toomai, a ten-year-old boy who helps to tend working elephants, is told that he will never be a full-fledged elephant-handler until he has seen the elephants dance.

The Miracle of Purun Bhagat -- An influential Indian politician abandons his worldly goods to become an ascetic holy man. Later, he must save a village from a landslide with the help of the local animals whom he has befriended.

Quiquern -- A teenaged Inuit boy and girl set out across the arctic ice on a desperate hunt for food to save their tribe from starvation, guided by the mysterious animal-spirit Quiquern. However, Quiquern is not what he seems.



The Jungle Books, yes, there are two, were my first journey with Kipling, but they will not be my last. I'm excited to venture back to India with Rudyard Kipling and Kim.