The Law of the Jungle
Just to give you an idea of the immense variety of the Jungle Law, I have translated into verse (Baloo always recited them in a sort of sing-song) a few of the laws that apply to the wolves. There are, of course, hundreds and hundreds more, but these will do for specimens of the simpler rulings.
Now this is the Law of the Jungle—as old and as true asthe sky;And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolfthat shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runnethforward and back—For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strengthof the Wolf is the Pack.
Wash daily from nose-tip to tail-tip; drink deeply, butnever too deep;And remember the night is for hunting, and forget notthe day is for sleep.
The jackal may follow the Tiger, but, Cub, when thywhiskers are grown,Remember the Wolf is a hunter—go forth and get foodof thine own.
Keep peace with the Lords of the Jungle—the Tiger, thePanther, the Bear;And trouble not Hathi the Silent, and mock not the Boarin his lair.
When Pack meets with Pack in the Jungle, and neitherwill go from the trail,Lie down till the leaders have spoken—it may be fairwords shall prevail.
When ye fight with a Wolf of the Pack, ye mustfight him alone and afar,Lest others take part in the quarrel, and the Pack bediminished by war.
The Lair of the Wolf is his refuge, and where he hasmade him his home,Not even the Head Wolf may enter, not even the Councilmay come.
The Lair of the Wolf is his refuge, but where he hasdigged it too plain,The Council shall send him a message, and so he shallchange it again.
If ye kill before midnight, be silent, and wake not thewoods with your bay,Lest ye frighten the deer from the crops, and the brothersgo empty away.
Ye may kill for yourselves, and your mates, and your cubsas they need, and ye can;But kill not for pleasure of killing, and SEVEN TIMES NEVERKILL MAN.
If ye plunder his Kill from a weaker, devour not all inthy pride;Pack-Right is the right of the meanest; so leave him thehead and the hide.
The Kill of the Pack is the meat of the Pack. Ye musteat where it lies;And no one may carry away of that meat to his lair, orhe dies.
The Kill of the Wolf is the meat of the Wolf. He maydo what he will,But, till he has given permission, the Pack may not eatof that Kill.
Cub-Right is the right of the Yearling. From all of hisPack he may claimFull-gorge when the killer has eaten; and none mayrefuse him the same.
Lair-Right is the right of the Mother. From all of heryear she may claimOne haunch of each kill for her litter, and none maydeny her the same.
Cave-Right is the right of the Father—to hunt by himselffor his own.He is freed of all calls to the Pack; he is judged by theCouncil alone.
Because of his age and his cunning, because of his gripeand his paw,In all that the Law leaveth open, the word of the HeadWolf is Law.
Now these are the Laws of the Jungle, and many andmighty are they;But the head and the hoof of the Law and the haunchand the hump is—Obey!