Мауглі

           "Thatiswhy,"hesaid,shiftinghispawontheleaves. "NotevenIcanlooktheebetweentheeyes,andIwasbornamongmen,andIlovethee,LittleBrother. Theotherstheyhatetheebecausetheireyescannotmeetthine;becausethouartwise;becausethouhastpulledoutthornsfromtheirfeet—becausethouartaman." 

           "Ididnotknowthesethings,"saidMowglisullenly,andhefrownedunderhisheavyblackeyebrows. 

           "WhatistheLawoftheJungle? Strikefirstandthengivetongue. Bythyverycarelessnesstheyknowthatthouartaman. Butbewise. ItisinmyheartthatwhenAkelamisseshisnextkill—andateachhuntitcostshimmoretopinthebuck—thePackwillturnagainsthimandagainstthee. TheywillholdajungleCouncilattheRock,andthen—andthen—Ihaveit!"saidBagheera,leapingup. "Gothoudownquicklytothemen’shutsinthevalley,andtakesomeoftheRedFlowerwhichtheygrowthere,sothatwhenthetimecomesthoumayesthaveevenastrongerfriendthanIorBalooorthoseofthePackthatlovethee. GettheRedFlower." 

           ByRedFlowerBagheerameantfire,onlynocreatureinthejunglewillcallfirebyitspropername. Everybeastlivesindeadlyfearofit,andinventsahundredwaysofdescribingit. 

           "TheRedFlower?"saidMowgli. "Thatgrowsoutsidetheirhutsinthetwilight. Iwillgetsome." 

           "Therespeakstheman’scub,"saidBagheeraproudly. "Rememberthatitgrowsinlittlepots. Getoneswiftly,andkeepitbytheefortimeofneed."