Маугли
The White Seal
"Thereneverhasbeensuchathingintheworldasawhiteseal."
"Ican’thelpthat,"saidMatkah;"there’sgoingtobenow."Andshesangthelow,crooningsealsongthatallthemothersealssingtotheirbabies:
Youmustn’tswimtillyou’resixweeksold,
Oryourheadwillbesunkbyyourheels;
AndsummergalesandKillerWhales
Arebadforbabyseals.
Arebadforbabyseals,dearrat,
Asbadasbadcanbe;
Butsplashandgrowstrong,
Andyoucan’tbewrong.
ChildoftheOpenSea!
Ofcoursethelittlefellowdidnotunderstandthewordsatfirst.Hepaddledandscrambledaboutbyhismother’sside,andlearnedtoscuffleoutofthewaywhenhisfatherwasfightingwithanotherseal,andthetworolledandroaredupanddowntheslipperyrocks.Matkahusedtogotoseatogetthingstoeat,andthebabywasfedonlyonceintwodays,butthenheateallhecouldandthroveuponit.
Thefirstthinghedidwastocrawlinland,andtherehemettensofthousandsofbabiesofhisownage,andtheyplayedtogetherlikepuppies,wenttosleeponthecleansand,andplayedagain.Theoldpeopleinthenurseriestooknonoticeofthem,andtheholluschickiekepttotheirowngrounds,andthebabieshadabeautifulplaytime.
WhenMatkahcamebackfromherdeep-seafishingshewouldgostraighttotheirplaygroundandcallasasheepcallsforalamb,andwaituntilsheheardKotickbleat.
