Мауглі

           Ifyoucanimaginealance,orabatteringram,orahammerweighingnearlyhalfatondrivenbyacool,quietmindlivinginthehandleofit,youcanroughlyimaginewhatKaawaslikewhenhefought. Apythonfourorfivefeetlongcanknockamandownifhehitshimfairlyinthechest,andKaawasthirtyfeetlong,asyouknow. HisfirststrokewasdeliveredintotheheartofthecrowdroundBaloo.Itwassenthomewithshutmouthinsilence,andtherewasnoneedofasecond. Themonkeysscatteredwithcriesof —"Kaa!ItisKaa!Run!Run!" 

           GenerationsofmonkeyshadbeenscaredintogoodbehaviorbythestoriestheirelderstoldthemofKaa,thenightthief,whocouldslipalongthebranchesasquietlyasmossgrows,andstealawaythestrongestmonkeythateverlived;ofoldKaa,whocouldmakehimselflooksolikeadeadbranchorarottenstumpthatthewisestweredeceived,tillthebranchcaughtthem. Kaawaseverythingthatthemonkeysfearedinthejungle,fornoneofthemknewthelimitsofhispower,noneofthemcouldlookhimintheface,andnonehadevercomealiveoutofhishug. Andsotheyran,stammeringwithterror,tothewallsandtheroofsofthehouses,andBaloodrewadeepbreathofrelief. HisfurwasmuchthickerthanBagheera’s,buthehadsufferedsorelyinthefight. ThenKaaopenedhismouthforthefirsttimeandspokeonelonghissingword,andthefar-awaymonkeys,hurryingtothedefenseoftheColdLairs,stayedwheretheywere,cowering,tilltheloadedbranchesbentandcrackledunderthem.