Читать книгу Stories from The Jungle Book / Книга Джунглей - Редьярд Киплинг - Страница 6

The Bandar-log were exactly as Baloo had said. They had no leader and no speech. They lived on trees. The animals of the jungle lived on the ground and they did not look up at them. They never met them and kept away from them.

But the Bandar-log had watched Mowgli. They had seen him weaving mats with straw and sticks. They found that wonderful. They thought that they could learn many things from him, and this would make them wise. Then all the creatures of the jungle would take note of them and envy them. They decided to carry him away and make him their leader.

So one day, when Mowgli was sleeping, the Bandar-log swooped down from the trees and carried him off. Mowgli opened his eyes and found that he was being carried away through the trees.

He cried out aloud. Baloo and Bagheera woke up, and were horrified to see the Bandar-log carry their Little Brother away.

Mowgli was very angry with himself. He should have listened to Baloo and kept away from these silly chattering monkeys. He felt dizzy as he was swung from branch to branch and from tree to tree.

Mowgli looked up and saw Chil, the kite, flying over him. He gave the kite a call for help. Chil was surprised to hear the call and looked down. He was even more surprised to hear a man-cub say the Master Word.

Mowgli called out to him, saying, “We are of one blood, you and I. Mark my trail. Tell Baloo and Bagheera. Go quickly.”

“Who are you, brother?” Chil asked.

“I am Mowgli, the man-cub. Mark my trail,” he repeated, “and hurry to Baloo and Bagheera.”

The monkeys carried him to the place the jungle creatures called the Cold Lairs. It was an old, ruined city, with its walls crumbling down. The monkeys lived here because there was a large water tank. No jungle creature ever came here, so they had the water to themselves.