The Jungle Book – by Rudyard Kipling
Class: 6th Standard | Type: Supplementary (Play) | Syllabus: SCERT New Syllabus (Term III)
About the Author
Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) was a British author born in Bombay, India. He is best known for his works of fiction set in India, including The Jungle Book, Kim, and the Just So Stories. Kipling was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907, becoming the first English-language writer and the youngest person at that time to receive the honour. His stories are celebrated for their vivid characters, imaginative plots, and deep understanding of Indian landscapes and cultures.
Detailed Summary
The Jungle Book has attracted audiences of all ages for its plot structure and characters. Children especially enjoy this story as it deals with the early childhood of a boy in the midst of wild animals in the forest. This lesson is presented as a play in four scenes.
Scene I – The Wolf's Cave
The scene opens in the Seeonee Hills at seven o'clock on a sunny evening, in the middle of the jungle. The Moon is yet to rise and with no stars to brighten the sky, utter darkness surrounds the forest. Father Wolf wakes up from his day's rest and stretches his paws, getting ready for the night's hunt. Mother Wolf, with her big grey nose, tends to her four tumbling, squealing cubs at the mouth of their cave.
A little shadow with a bushy tail appears at the entrance — it is Tabaqui, the jackal. He flatters the wolves, wishing them good luck and praising their cubs. Father Wolf grudgingly allows him in, though there is no food. Tabaqui, being a scavenger, declares that even a dry bone is a feast for someone as mean as himself. After licking his lips, he slyly delivers disturbing news: Shere Khan, the great tiger from the Waingunga River (twenty miles away), has shifted his hunting grounds and plans to hunt among these hills for the next moon.
Father Wolf reacts angrily, declaring that by the Law of the Jungle, Shere Khan has no right to change his quarters without due warning. His presence will frighten all the game within ten miles. Mother Wolf adds quietly that Shere Khan's own mother named him Lungri (the Lame One) because he has been lame in one foot since birth. That is why he only kills cattle. She explains that the villagers of the Waingunga are angry with him, and he has come here to cause trouble. When the villagers scour the jungle for the tiger, the wolves and their children will suffer as the grass is set on fire.
Scene II – The Tiger's Failed Hunt
After Tabaqui leaves, Father Wolf hears the dry, angry whine of a tiger below in the valley — Shere Khan has caught nothing and does not care if all the jungle knows it. Father Wolf mocks him for making such noise, which would scare away all the prey. Mother Wolf silences him and reveals a shocking truth: it is neither bullock nor buck that Shere Khan hunts tonight — it is Man. Father Wolf is outraged that a tiger dares to hunt Man on their ground.
Scene III – The Man's Cub Arrives
The narrator explains the Law of the Jungle: every beast is forbidden from eating Man, except when teaching young ones to kill, and even then, the hunt must take place outside the pack's hunting grounds. Man-killing inevitably brings men with elephants, guns, rockets, and torches, causing suffering for all jungle creatures. The beasts also say that Man is the weakest and most defenceless of all living things, and that man-eaters become mangy and lose their teeth.
Shere Khan's howl ends abruptly — he has missed his prey. Father Wolf hears a commotion and discovers that the tiger has foolishly jumped at a woodcutter's campfire and burned his feet. Something is coming uphill. Father Wolf prepares to leap but checks himself mid-spring — standing before him, holding onto a low branch, is a naked baby boy who can just walk. The child looks up into Father Wolf's face and laughs fearlessly.
Mother Wolf, having never seen a Man's cub before, asks Father Wolf to bring it to her. With the gentleness of a wolf accustomed to carrying its own cubs, Father Wolf carries the baby in his jaws without even scratching the skin, and lays it among the wolf cubs. Mother Wolf marvels at how little, naked, and bold the child is. The baby pushes his way between the cubs to get close to the warm hide.
Suddenly, moonlight is blocked from the cave entrance — Shere Khan's great square head and shoulders fill the opening. Tabaqui squeaks behind him that the man-cub went inside. Shere Khan demands the man-cub, saying it is his quarry. But Father Wolf knows the cave entrance is too narrow for a tiger. He stands firm: "The Wolves are a free people. They take orders from the Head of the Pack, and not from any striped cattle-killer. The Man's cub is ours."
Shere Khan roars, filling the cave with thunder. But Mother Wolf springs forward, her eyes like two green moons, and delivers her famous declaration: "And it is I, Raksha, 'The Demon', who answers. The Man's cub is mine. He shall live to run with the Pack and to hunt with the Pack; and in the end, he shall hunt you!" Shere Khan, knowing he has no advantage against Mother Wolf on her ground, backs out and shouts that the cub will come to him in the end.
Scene IV – Mowgli Gets His Name
After Shere Khan retreats, Father Wolf gravely tells Mother Wolf that the cub must be shown to the Pack, and asks if she still wishes to keep him. Mother Wolf passionately declares she will keep him — he came naked, alone, hungry, yet unafraid. She names the baby Mowgli, meaning "the Frog," and vows that he will one day hunt Shere Khan.
The lesson notes that the story continues with many more episodes: Mowgli's acceptance by the Wolf Pack, his friendship with Bagheera (the panther), his adventurous trips in the jungle with Baloo (the bear), his fight with the Monkey gang, and eventually, Mowgli being forced to leave the jungle to live in a village. Later, he decides to return to the jungle and live there.
Characters
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| Father Wolf | Chief of the wolf family. He is brave and protective, ready to hunt and defend his territory. He stands up to Shere Khan and refuses to hand over the man-cub. |
| Mother Wolf (Raksha) | Known as "The Demon." She is fierce, protective, and courageous. She adopts the man-cub, names him Mowgli, and vows to raise him as her own, even threatening Shere Khan. |
| Tabaqui (the Jackal) | A cunning scavenger who flatters others for food. He acts as a spy and messenger for Shere Khan, delivering news of the tiger's arrival to the wolves. |
| Shere Khan (the Tiger) | The main villain. He is violent, predatory, and disrespectful of the Law of the Jungle. Called "Lungri" (Lame One) by his own mother, he is lame in one foot and hunts cattle. He demands the man-cub but is driven away by Mother Wolf. |
| Mowgli (Man's Cub) | A human baby who wanders into the wolf cave after escaping from Shere Khan. He is fearless and bold, laughing at Father Wolf's face. Mother Wolf names him Mowgli, meaning "Little Frog." |
| Narrator | Describes the scenes, settings, and actions; explains the Law of the Jungle and the consequences of man-killing. |
| Bagheera (mentioned) | The panther who befriends Mowgli in later episodes of the story. |
| Baloo (mentioned) | The bear who teaches and accompanies Mowgli on adventurous trips in the jungle. |
Glossary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Paws | The feet of an animal that have claws or nails |
| Tumbling | Falling or rolling in a clumsy way |
| Squealing | Making a long, high-pitched sound |
| Whines | Makes a long, high-pitched cry expressing unhappiness |
| Scour | To search thoroughly and carefully |
| Bewilders | Causes someone to become confused or puzzled |
| Quarry | An animal being hunted or chased |
| Dimpled | Having small natural indentations on the skin |
| Fostering | Encouraging the development of something; raising a child not one's own |
| Cramped | Restricted or confined in space |
| Mangy | Having a skin disease causing hair loss; in poor condition |
| Lairs | Places where wild animals live or rest |
| Stiff | Not relaxed or friendly; formal and cold |
| Spiteful | Showing a desire to hurt or upset someone; malicious |
| Gravely | In a serious and solemn manner |
Themes and Moral Values
- Courage and Fearlessness: Baby Mowgli, despite being a helpless human child, shows no fear when surrounded by wolves. Mother Wolf courageously stands up to the powerful tiger Shere Khan to protect the child.
- Maternal Love and Protection: Mother Wolf's fierce determination to adopt and protect Mowgli demonstrates the universal power of maternal instinct that crosses even species boundaries.
- Law and Order in Society: The Law of the Jungle represents rules that maintain harmony in the community. Shere Khan's violation of these rules — changing hunting grounds without warning and hunting Man — causes disruption for all.
- Standing Up Against Bullying: Both Father Wolf and Mother Wolf refuse to be intimidated by Shere Khan's threats and roars, teaching the value of standing firm against those who misuse power.
- Coexistence and Acceptance: The wolves' willingness to accept a human child into their family highlights the theme of living together in harmony despite differences.
- Consequences of Reckless Actions: Shere Khan's foolish leap at the campfire, resulting in burned feet, shows that reckless behaviour leads to suffering. His bullying tactics also fail against the united wolves.