The Jungle Book
by Rudyard Kipling
Summary
The human child Mowgli is raised by wolves in the Indian jungle, schooled by Baloo the bear and Bagheera the black panther in the Law of the Jungle, and hunted by the tiger Shere Khan who claims him as prey. Kipling surrounds the Mowgli stories with other animal tales, including the mongoose Rikki Tikki Tavi's war against cobras, each told with the cadence of myth. The collection's invented jungle law and unforgettable animal characters made it a permanent classic of children's literature.
Historical Context & Significance
Kipling wrote the stories while living in Vermont and published the collection in 1894, drawing on the India of his childhood. Its characters have been retold endlessly, most famously in Disney's animated film, and the stories still anchor Kipling's reputation.