Page 77 - THE JUNGLE BOOK

The Jungle Book

Dance. All this, man-cub, came of thy playing with the
Bandar-log.’
‘True, it is true,’ said Mowgli sorrowfully. ‘I am an evil
man-cub, and my stomach is sad in me.’

‘Mf! What says the Law of the Jungle, Baloo?’
Baloo did not wish to bring Mowgli into any more
trouble, but he could not tamper with the Law, so he
mumbled: ‘Sorrow never stays punishment. But
remember, Bagheera, he is very little.’
‘I will remember. But he has done mischief, and blows
must be dealt now. Mowgli, hast thou anything to say?’
‘Nothing. I did wrong. Baloo and thou are wounded.
It is just.’
Bagheera gave him half a dozen love-taps from a
panther’s point of view (they would hardly have waked
one of his own cubs), but for a seven-year-old boy they
amounted to as severe a beating as you could wish to
avoid. When it was all over Mowgli sneezed, and picked
himself up without a word.
‘Now,’ said Bagheera, ‘jump on my back, Little
Brother, and we will go home.’
One of the beauties of Jungle Law is that punishment
settles all scores. There is no nagging afterward.

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