The Jungle Book · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.
Chapter 1
Epigraph
The epigraph sets the scene for the stories to come, invoking the transition from day to night in the jungle and the creatures that emerge under cover of darkness. It emphasizes the power and law of the jungle, calling for good hunting among those who abide by the Jungle Law.
Chapter 2
The Jungle Book
A collection of stories set in the Indian jungle, featuring Mowgli's upbringing among wolves, his battles with Shere Khan, and other animal tales including Rikki-Tikki-Tavi's fight against cobras, Kotick the white seal's search for a safe beach, and Little Toomai's encounter with the elephant dance.
Chapter 3
Mowgli's Brothers
Mowgli is adopted into the Seeonee wolf pack after being presented at Council Rock, where Bagheera pays a bull for his acceptance. He grows up learning the Law of the Jungle from Baloo and Bagheera, but faces growing hostility from Shere Khan, who plots against him as Akela ages. Bagheera warns Mowgli that the pack's loyalty is shifting and that he must eventually kill Shere Khan to survive.
Chapter 4
Kaa's Hunting
Mowgli, while learning the Law of the Jungle from Baloo, is kidnapped by the Bandar-log (the monkey people). Baloo and Bagheera seek help from Kaa the python, who uses his hypnotic powers to defeat the monkeys and rescue Mowgli. Afterward, Mowgli is punished for his foolishness and thanks Kaa for saving his life.
Chapter 5
Tiger! Tiger!
Mowgli leaves the wolf pack after the Council Rock fight and travels to a village where he is adopted by Messua, who believes he might be her lost son. He becomes a buffalo herder and learns human customs while keeping watch for Shere Khan. With the help of Gray Brother and Akela, Mowgli devises a plan to trap and kill Shere Khan using the buffalo herd.
Chapter 6
The White Seal
Kotick, a white seal born on Novastoshnah Beach, witnesses the brutal clubbing of seals by men and becomes determined to find a safe beach where no men come. After years of searching, he discovers a hidden beach via the Sea Cow's tunnel. He returns to challenge the old seals, wins a great fight, and leads thousands of seals to the new sanctuary, where they live in peace.
Chapter 7
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a young mongoose washed out of his burrow by a flood, is rescued by an English family living in a bungalow in Segowlee cantonment. He explores the house and garden, befriending Darzee the tailorbird and learning of the threat posed by two cobras, Nag and Nagaina. After overhearing Nag's plan to kill the family, Rikki-tikki attacks Nag in the bathroom, holding on as the big man shoots the cobra. He then destroys most of Nagaina's eggs and confronts her on the veranda, using the last egg as a distraction to save Teddy. Nagaina retrieves the egg and flees, with Rikki-tikki pursuing her into her hole to finish the fight.
Chapter 8
Toomai of the Elephants
This chapter follows the story of Kala Nag, a wise old elephant who has served the Indian Government for nearly seventy years, and his young mahout, Little Toomai. After Little Toomai demonstrates bravery and skill in a Keddah (elephant capture), Petersen Sahib rewards him and jokingly tells him he may become a hunter when he sees the elephants dance—a feat no man has ever witnessed. Later, Little Toomai secretly follows the wild elephants at night and witnesses their legendary dance, earning him the title 'Toomai of the Elephants.'
Chapter 9
Her Majesty's Servants
The narrator, caught in a rainstorm at a military camp in Rawal Pindi, overhears a conversation among the camp animals—mules, camels, horses, bullocks, and an elephant—as they discuss duty, obedience, fear, and the nature of command. The animals share their experiences and perspectives on military life, revealing their different roles and the importance of trusting their human handlers.