Letting In the Jungle
Encyclopedia
"Letting In the Jungle" is a short story
by Rudyard Kipling
which continues Mowgli
's adventures from "Mowgli's Brothers
" and "Tiger! Tiger!
". The story was written at Kipling's parents' home in Tisbury, Wiltshire
, and is therefore the only Mowgli story not written in Vermont
.
It was published in the Pall Mall Gazette
and the Pall Mall Budget for December 13, 1894, and in McClure's
Magazine for January 1895, before being collected as the third story in The Second Jungle Book
(1895).
fulfilled his vow to kill the tiger
Shere Khan
and to lay his hide upon the wolfpack's Council Rock, but was cast out of the human
village after its chief hunter Buldeo learned of his friendship with wolves and accused him of sorcery
.
Mowgli returns to the jungle and tries to forget humanity, but Akela
tells him that Buldeo is still searching for him. Grey Brother suggests killing Buldeo, but Mowgli angrily forbids him.
Mowgli and the wolves stalk Buldeo and eavesdrop
on his conversation with some charcoal
-burners. Mowgli is shocked to discover that the villagers have imprisoned his adoptive human parents, Messua and her husband, and are planning to execute them for fostering Mowgli.
Ordering the wolves to harry Buldeo and prevent him from returning to the village, Mowgli returns there to rescue his parents. He discovers that his adopted wolf mother Raksha
has also arrived, and warns her to keep out of sight while he frees Messua and her husband.
Messua is thankful that her son has returned to save them, but her husband is resentful at losing most of his money
and possessions and shows no paternal warmth toward Mowgli.
Messua and her husband set off on foot for the town of Khanhiwara, some thirty miles away, guarded by Raksha at a discreet distance. Meanwhile Bagheera
the panther arrives and takes their place in the hut, so that when the villagers arrive to take out the prisoners they get an unpleasant surprise.
The next day Mowgli tells Bagheera he has a plan to take revenge on the villagers, a plan that involves Hathi
the elephant
and his sons. Bagheera is sceptical that Hathi will answer Mowgli's summons, but is surprised when he does so.
Mowgli tells Hathi of a story Buldeo once told, about an elephant that escaped from a trap and took revenge upon his captors by trampling their fields and villages. Hathi confirms Mowgli's suspicion that he was the elephant in the story. Mowgli wants Hathi to destroy Buldeo's village as well, but to take more time doing so.
Over the course of several weeks the village fields are invaded by herds of pig
s, deer
and Wild Asian Water buffalo
, the livestock is harried by wolves, and the elephants destroy the grain storage bins. While all this is happening Mowgli keeps well out of sight so that the villagers will not suspect his involvement. Finally, as the rainy season sets in, the elephants tear down the village huts and any villagers who have not already left flee for their lives. Six months afterward the wreckage has been completely swallowed by wild jungle and Mowgli's revenge is complete.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
which continues Mowgli
Mowgli
Mowgli is a fictional character from India who originally appeared in Rudyard Kipling's short story "In the Rukh" and then went on to become the most prominent and memorable character in his fantasies, The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book , which also featured stories about other...
's adventures from "Mowgli's Brothers
Mowgli's Brothers
"Mowgli's Brothers" is a short story by Rudyard Kipling. Chronologically it is the first story about Mowgli although it was written after "In the Rukh" in which Mowgli appears as an adult.The story first appeared in the January 1894 issue of St...
" and "Tiger! Tiger!
Tiger! Tiger! (Rudyard Kipling)
"Tiger! Tiger!" is a short story by Rudyard Kipling. A direct sequel to "Mowgli's Brothers", it was published in magazines in 1893–94 before appearing as the third story in The Jungle Book , following "Kaa's Hunting"...
". The story was written at Kipling's parents' home in Tisbury, Wiltshire
Tisbury, Wiltshire
The large village of Tisbury lies approximately west of Salisbury in the English county of Wiltshire.With a population at the 2001 census of 2,056 it is an important local centre for communities around the upper River Nadder and Vale of Wardour...
, and is therefore the only Mowgli story not written in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
.
It was published in the Pall Mall Gazette
Pall Mall Gazette
The Pall Mall Gazette was an evening newspaper founded in London on 7 February 1865 by George Murray Smith; its first editor was Frederick Greenwood...
and the Pall Mall Budget for December 13, 1894, and in McClure's
McClure's
McClure's or McClure's Magazine was an American illustrated monthly periodical popular at the turn of the 20th century. The magazine is credited with creating muckraking journalism. Ida Tarbell's series in 1902 exposing the monopoly abuses of John D...
Magazine for January 1895, before being collected as the third story in The Second Jungle Book
The Second Jungle Book
The Second Jungle Book is a sequel to The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. First published in 1895, it features five stories about Mowgli and three unrelated stories, all but one set in India, most of which Kipling wrote while living in Vermont...
(1895).
Story
In the previous story MowgliMowgli
Mowgli is a fictional character from India who originally appeared in Rudyard Kipling's short story "In the Rukh" and then went on to become the most prominent and memorable character in his fantasies, The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book , which also featured stories about other...
fulfilled his vow to kill the tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
Shere Khan
Shere Khan
Shere Khan is a fictional tiger of the Indian jungle. He is the chief antagonist in two of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book stories featuring Mowgli. Shere Khan is named after an Afghan Prince Kipling encountered on his trips to Afghanistan...
and to lay his hide upon the wolfpack's Council Rock, but was cast out of the human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
village after its chief hunter Buldeo learned of his friendship with wolves and accused him of sorcery
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
.
Mowgli returns to the jungle and tries to forget humanity, but Akela
Akela (Jungle Book)
Akela is a character in Rudyard Kipling's stories, The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book. He is the leader of the Seeonee pack of Indian wolves and presides over the pack's council meetings...
tells him that Buldeo is still searching for him. Grey Brother suggests killing Buldeo, but Mowgli angrily forbids him.
Mowgli and the wolves stalk Buldeo and eavesdrop
Eavesdropping
Eavesdropping is the act of secretly listening to the private conversation of others without their consent, as defined by Black's Law Dictionary...
on his conversation with some charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
-burners. Mowgli is shocked to discover that the villagers have imprisoned his adoptive human parents, Messua and her husband, and are planning to execute them for fostering Mowgli.
Ordering the wolves to harry Buldeo and prevent him from returning to the village, Mowgli returns there to rescue his parents. He discovers that his adopted wolf mother Raksha
Raksha (Jungle Books)
Raksha the Demon is a fictional character featured in Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli stories, collected in The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book...
has also arrived, and warns her to keep out of sight while he frees Messua and her husband.
Messua is thankful that her son has returned to save them, but her husband is resentful at losing most of his money
Money
Money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past,...
and possessions and shows no paternal warmth toward Mowgli.
Messua and her husband set off on foot for the town of Khanhiwara, some thirty miles away, guarded by Raksha at a discreet distance. Meanwhile Bagheera
Bagheera
Bagheera the black-toned Indian Leopard is an animal fictional character in Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli stories in The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book...
the panther arrives and takes their place in the hut, so that when the villagers arrive to take out the prisoners they get an unpleasant surprise.
The next day Mowgli tells Bagheera he has a plan to take revenge on the villagers, a plan that involves Hathi
Hathi
Hathi is a fictional animal character created by Rudyard Kipling for the Mowgli stories collected in The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book . Hathi is a bull elephant that lives in the jungle. Kipling named him after hāthī , the Hindi word for "elephant".-Kipling's character:Hathi is head of...
the elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
and his sons. Bagheera is sceptical that Hathi will answer Mowgli's summons, but is surprised when he does so.
Mowgli tells Hathi of a story Buldeo once told, about an elephant that escaped from a trap and took revenge upon his captors by trampling their fields and villages. Hathi confirms Mowgli's suspicion that he was the elephant in the story. Mowgli wants Hathi to destroy Buldeo's village as well, but to take more time doing so.
Over the course of several weeks the village fields are invaded by herds of pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s, deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
and Wild Asian Water buffalo
Wild Asian Water Buffalo
The wild water buffalo also called Asian buffalo and Asiatic buffalo is a large bovine native to Southeast Asia...
, the livestock is harried by wolves, and the elephants destroy the grain storage bins. While all this is happening Mowgli keeps well out of sight so that the villagers will not suspect his involvement. Finally, as the rainy season sets in, the elephants tear down the village huts and any villagers who have not already left flee for their lives. Six months afterward the wreckage has been completely swallowed by wild jungle and Mowgli's revenge is complete.