# XII: Tarzan Rescues the Moon explained — Jungle Tales of Tarzan

> Chapter companion for Jungle Tales of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

## What happens

Tarzan explores the nocturnal jungle, driven by curiosity and the joy of living. He observes a party of black warriors from Mbonga's village huddled around a fire, terrified of Numa and Sabor. Despite their attempts to ward off the lions with firebrands, Numa charges, kills one warrior, and drags him away. Earlier, Tarzan had defended a Gomangani (Bulabantu) from the ape tribe, with Taug's support, facing hostility from Gunto and others. The chapter highlights Tarzan's reflections on the moon (Goro) and sun (Kudu) as living entities, his pride in being a man, and the constant dangers of the jungle.

## Themes in this chapter

### Curiosity and Knowledge

Tarzan's nocturnal exploration is driven by an intense desire to understand the jungle's mysteries, including the differences between day and night.

### Survival and Instinct

The black warriors' use of fire and thorn boma to survive against predators, and Tarzan's own instinctual defense of Bulabantu, highlight primal survival strategies.

### Savagery vs. Civilization

Tarzan's pride in being a man and his role as a mediator between the ape tribe and humans underscores the tension between savage and civilized identities.

## Character check-ins

### Tarzan

Explores the jungle by night, defends Bulabantu from the apes, and observes the black warriors' struggle against lions.

### Taug

Supports Tarzan in defending Bulabantu, challenging Gunto and the other bulls.

### Gunto

Leads the charge against Tarzan and Taug, advocating for killing the Tarmangani.

### Bulabantu

The black man defended by Tarzan and Taug; witnesses the ape-man's intervention.

### Numa

Attacks the black warriors' camp, kills one man, and drags him away with Sabor.

### Sabor

Accompanies Numa in the attack on the black warriors.

## Key lines

> It is good to live. I should hate to die.

Tarzan reflects on the value of life as he faces imminent death from the apes.

_Tarzan's contemplation of mortality while confronting Gunto and the bulls._

> The moon shone down out of a cloudless sky—a huge, swollen moon that seemed so close to earth that one might wonder that she did not brush the crooning tree tops.

The moon appears large and near, as if touching the treetops.

_Opening description setting the nocturnal scene._

> Thus functioned the untrained man-mind groping through the dark night of ignorance for an explanation of the things he could not touch or smell or hear and of the great, unknown powers of nature which he could not see.

Tarzan's primitive reasoning attributes personalities to the sun and moon to explain natural phenomena.

_Narrator's commentary on Tarzan's animistic worldview._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/jungle_tales_of_tarzan_se/chapters/xii-tarzan-rescues-the-moon
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/jungle_tales_of_tarzan_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/jungle_tales_of_tarzan_se/chapters