Мауглі
Toomai of the Elephants
ThenIshallsitonthyneck,OKalaNag,withasilverankus,andmenwillrunbeforeuswithgoldensticks,crying,‘RoomfortheKing’selephant!’Thatwillbegood,KalaNag,butnotsogoodasthishuntinginthejungles."
"Umph!"saidBigToomai."Thouartaboy,andaswildasabuffalo-calf.ThisrunningupanddownamongthehillsisnotthebestGovernmentservice.Iamgettingold,andIdonotlovewildelephants.Givemebrickelephantlines,onestalltoeachelephant,andbigstumpstotiethemtosafely,andflat,broadroadstoexerciseupon,insteadofthiscome-and-gocamping.Aha,theCawnporebarracksweregood.Therewasabazaarcloseby,andonlythreehours’workaday."
LittleToomairememberedtheCawnporeelephant-linesandsaidnothing.Heverymuchpreferredthecamplife,andhatedthosebroad,flatroads,withthedailygrubbingforgrassintheforagereserve,andthelonghourswhentherewasnothingtodoexcepttowatchKalaNagfidgetinginhispickets.