Мауглі

           Hesethisteethandsaidnothing,butwentwiththeshoutingmonkeystoaterraceabovetheredsandstonereservoirsthatwerehalf-fullofrainwater. Therewasaruinedsummer-houseofwhitemarbleinthecenteroftheterrace,builtforqueensdeadahundredyearsago. Thedomedroofhadhalffalleninandblockeduptheundergroundpassagefromthepalacebywhichthequeensusedtoenter. Butthewallsweremadeofscreensofmarbletracery—beautifulmilk-whitefretwork,setwithagatesandcorneliansandjasperandlapislazuli,andasthemooncameupbehindthehillitshonethroughtheopenwork,castingshadowsonthegroundlikeblackvelvetembroidery. Sore,sleepy,andhungryashewas,MowglicouldnothelplaughingwhentheBandar-logbegan,twentyatatime,totellhimhowgreatandwiseandstrongandgentletheywere,andhowfoolishhewastowishtoleavethem. "Wearegreat. Wearefree. Wearewonderful. Wearethemostwonderfulpeopleinallthejungle! Weallsayso,andsoitmustbetrue,"theyshouted. "NowasyouareanewlistenerandcancarryourwordsbacktotheJungle-Peoplesothattheymaynoticeusinfuture,wewilltellyouallaboutourmostexcellentselves." Mowglimadenoobjection,andthemonkeysgatheredbyhundredsandhundredsontheterracetolistentotheirownspeakerssingingthepraisesoftheBandar-log,andwheneveraspeakerstoppedforwantofbreaththeywouldallshouttogether: "Thisistrue;weallsayso."