Page 57 - THE JUNGLE BOOK
P. 57

The Jungle Book


                                     ‘They fear me alone. They have good reason,’ said Kaa.
                                  ‘Chattering, foolish, vain—vain, foolish, and chattering,
                                  are the monkeys. But a man-thing in their hands is in no
                                  good luck. They grow tired of the nuts they pick, and

                                  throw them down. They carry a branch half a day,
                                  meaning to do great things with it, and then they snap it
                                  in two. That man-thing is not to be envied. They called
                                  me also—‘yellow fish’ was it not?’
                                     ‘Worm—worm—earth-worm,’ said Bagheera, ‘as well
                                  as other things which I cannot now say for shame.’
                                     ‘We must remind them to speak well of their master.
                                  Aaa-ssp! We must help their wandering memories. Now,
                                  whither went they with the cub?’
                                     ‘The jungle alone knows. Toward the sunset, I
                                  believe,’ said Baloo. ‘We had thought that thou wouldst
                                  know, Kaa.’
                                     ‘I? How? I take them when they come in my way, but
                                  I do not hunt the Bandar-log, or frogs—or green scum on
                                  a water-hole, for that matter.’
                                     ‘Up, Up! Up, Up! Hillo! Illo! Illo, look up, Baloo of
                                  the Seeonee Wolf Pack!’
                                     Baloo looked up to see where the voice came from,
                                  and there was Rann the Kite, sweeping down with the
                                  sun shining on the upturned flanges of his wings. It was



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