Chapter 6: Distressed Path
Late into the night, Baloo, Bagheera and Mishti stop at a large tree next to a lake. Mishti is fast asleep and is on a bush of longs leaves. Baloo is laying down beside her as he watches her sleep. Bagheera is busy lecuting hi,
"And furthermore, Baloo... Mishti seems to have man's ability to get into trouble. And your influence hasn't been exactly…" Bagheera says.
Baloo quietly says, "Shh. Keep it down. You're gonna wake up little buddy. Dah. Well, she's had a big day. It was a real sockaroo. You know, it ain't easy learnin' to be like me."
"Pah! A disgraceful performance. Associating with those undesirable, scatterbrained apes. Unh. I hope Mishti learned something from that experience," Bagheera disagrees.
In her sleep Mishti sings, "Scooby-dooby, dooby-doo."
Then goes back to sleep. The two look at Mishti for two different reasons.
Baloo smiles, and says, "That's my boy."
"Oh, nonsense," Bagheera replies and walks away.
Baloo then get on his knees and uses the leaves to tuck her in like blankets. She then lifts her head to adjust it a little so she can rest peacefully. Baloo loves Mishti like she's his down cube and never wants to be a part from her
"Baloo. Over here," Bagheera calmly calls out.
Baloo turns his head with a confused look.
"I'd like to have a word with you," Bagheera says.
Baloo walks to Bagheera as he asks, "A word? You gonna talk some more?"
Baloo yawns, and asks, "All right, what's up, Bagheera?"
"Baloo... the girl cub must go back to the man village. The jungle is not the place for her." Bagheera explains.
"I grew up in the jungle. Take a look at me," Baloo says, eating the berries from the tree.
"Yes, just look at yourself. Look at that eye," Bagheera says.
Baloo looks at his reflection in the water to see the bad bruise he has on his eyes.
"Yeah. It's beautiful, ain't it? Yeah." Baloo says, feeling happy about it.
"Frankly, you're a disreputable sight," Bagheera disagrees.
"Well, you don't look exactly like a basket of fruit yourself," Baloo says, looking at Bagheera's eyes.
Bagheera looks at his reflection to see what happens to his own eye.
Then Bagheera says, "Ohh. Baloo, you can't adopt Mishti as your daughter."
"Why not?" Baloo asks.
What the two are not aware is that Mishti turns and stur as she is starting to feel scared. She then slowly opens her eyes and lifts her upper body to a sitting possession. She then goes to the lake and washes her face. She then looks at her bracelet and lets out a sigh of sadness. She has the nightmare about what happened to her mother and not knowing what happened to her father.
She walks back to the leaves until she hears Bagheera saying, "Yes. Like you did when the monkeys kidnapped her, huh?"
"Can't a guy make one mistake?" Baloo asks.
"Not in the jungle," Bagheera says.
Mishti decides to stay quiet and has her back against the tree so she can hear their conversation.
As Baloo scratches an itch on his back, Bagheera says to him, "And another thing. Sooner or later, Mishti will meet Shere Khan."
"The tiger?" Baloo asks, stop scratching in shock.
Then asks, "What's he got against the kid?"
"He hates man with a vengeance. You know that. Because he fears man's gun and man's fire, "Bagheera says.
"But little Mishti don't have those things," Baloo says, soudnign very worried
"Shere Khan won't wait until she does. And with Mishti being female, he'll be more urged to get rid of her. He'll get Mishti while she's young and helpless," Bagheera says.
"Just one swipe and…" Bagheera adds, showing a swipe from his own claws.
Baloo starts to sound very scared, "No. Well... Well, what are we gonna do?"
"We'll do what's best for the girl," Bagheera says.
"You better believe it. You name it, and I'll do it," Baloo agrees in fright.
"Good. Then make Mishti go to the man village," Bagheera says.
But Baloo is not hearing it, "Are you out of your mind? I promised her... she could stay here in the jungle with me."
"Well, that's just the point. As long as she remains with you... she's in danger, so it's up to you," Bagheera says.
"Why me?" Baloo asks.
"Be-Be-Because she won't listen to me," Bagheera answers.
"I love that kid. I love her like she was my own cub," Baloo sadly says.
"Then think of what's best for Mishti and not yourself," Bagheera says.
Baloo feels very worried and upset about having to let her go, but knows that he wants her safe more than anything.
Mishti who has heard the conversation is stunned about what Bagheera and Baloo wants her to do. Deep down, Mishti actually does want to go to the village, but the fear of what happened to her when she's young always makes her refuse to go. She doesn't know whether to be upset with her friends for wanting her to leave the jungle or fearing of going back to a place where she lost everything.
Mishti begins to shed tears, "I… I can't… I just can't!"
Mishti then begins to run away. Her screaming catches the two's attention. Baloo turns to see that Mishti is gone. Then turns to see Mishti running away.
"Hey Mishti, where you're going?" Baloo asks.
But Mishti continues to run.
Baloo begins to go after her, "Wait. Stop!"
Mishti continues to run as she pushes the leaves and branches out of the way.
Baloo tries to go after her, "Wait! Listen to old Baloo!"
Mishti jumps on a rock and comes down, but falls to the ground. She gets up and continues to run with tears coming down her face.
Baloo looks around as he worriedly calls out, "Mishti! Mishti!"
"How did this happen?!" Bagheera asks.
"I'll tell you, she heard everything we said and ran out on us," Baloo answers.
"Well, don't just stand there. Let's separate. We... We've got to find her," Bagheera says, and runs off to search.
Baloo then begins to walks to the part of the jungle Mishti is running to, "Oh, if anything happens to that little guy... I'll never forgive myself. I gotta find her."
Baloo then begins to search as he calls out, "Mishti… Mishti!"
In the grassland part of the jungle, there is a bengal tiger lurking around. The tiger is Shere Khan, the man hunter. The tiger secretly sneaks to see a fawn in the distance. Shere Khan quietly walks down the tall grass and close distance to the fawn without being noticed. The fawn is eating some leaves, grass and flowers on the ground. The tiger lowers himself down looking at the fawn, and is ready to pounce.
But then, loud trumpeting sounds appear out of nowhere, and the fawn runs away.
Marching this way is Colonel Hathi and his elephant herd.
Colonel Hathi and the Herd:
Hup, two, three, four
Hup, two, three, four
Keep it up Two, three
"What beastly luck. Confound that ridiculous Colonel Hathi," Shere Khan says to himself.
Colonel Hathi shouts, "Company, sound off."
Colonel Hathi and the Herd:
Oh, we march from here to there
And it doesn't matter where
You can hear us push through the deepest bush
Hup, two, three, four
They then begin to march through the jungle crushing the plants and trees in their path.
Colonel Hathi:
With a military air
The Herd:
With a military air
Shere Khan secretly watch the elephant march from the tall grass.
The elephants let out a loud trumpet sound with their trunk.
On the tree branch, Bagheera hears them, "The jungle patrol."
Bagheera then begins to run and jump on the branches to find the patrol to help with his search.
The Dawn Patrol are walking on the water.
Colonel Hathi and the Herd:
We're a cracker jack brigade
On a pachyderm parade
But we'd rather stroll to a waterhole
Junior is holding the tail of the elephant and sliding on the water.
Junior:
Hup, two, three, four
He jumps on the rocks and lands on his feet on shore.
Colonel Hathi and the Herd:
For a furlough in the shade
The Dawn Patrol continues to march along the jungle path. Bagheera is able to find them as he jumps on a branch in a tree.
"Stop!" Bagheera calls out.
Then Bagheera says, "W-Wait a minute."
Then shouts, "Halt!"
Hearing the word, Colonel Hathi and the elephants stop in their tracks.
"Who said halt? I give the commands around here," Hathi asks, looking around with a stern look.
Bagheera jumps on the branches to reach to the leader of the heard.
"Now speak up. Who was it?" Hathi asks.
Bagheera jumps on the branch close to Hathi, and says, "Oh, it was me, Colonel."
"What do you mean, sir, taking over my command? Highly irregular, you know," Hathi asks.
"Oh, Colonel, I-I'm sorry... but, but I need your help," Bagheera says.
But unaware to Bagheera and Colonel Hathi, Shere Khan secretly sneaks up close to them, but at a distance. Then he begins to hear the conversation
"Oh, absolutely impossible. We're on a cross-county march," Hathi says.
Then Bagheera says, "But it's an emergency, Colonel. The girl cub must be found."
"Girl cub? What girl cub? Hathi asks.
Hearing the word 'girl cub' catches Shere Khan's attention
"How interesting," shere Khan says to himself.
He then hears Bagheera says, "The one I was taking to the man village."
"Good. That's where he belongs. Now, sir, If you don't mind we'd like to get on with the march," Hathi says.
"No, no, no, you, you don't understand, Hathi. She is lost. She ran away," Bagheera says.
"How delightful," Shere Khan says, taking interest.
"Well, serves the young whippersnapper right," Hathi says.
"But, but Shere Khan, the tiger He's sure to pick up the man cub's trail," Bagheera says.
Shere Khan nods his head to hear it.
"Shere Khan. Nonsense, old boy. Shere Khan isn't within miles of here," Hathi says.
Shere Khan shakes his head.
"Oh, sorry, Bagheera. Fortunes of war, and all that sort of thing, you know," Hathi says.
But Winifred marches up the line as she mutters, "This has gone far enough. Far enough."
Junior follows after her.
Winifred reaches Hathi, and says, "Now just a minute, you pompous old windbag!"
"Winifred! What are you doing out of ranks?" Hathi asks.
"Never mind," Winifred says.
She looks down, and questions, "How would you like to have our boy lost and alone in the jungle?"
"Our son? Alone?" Hathi asks.
But Hathi says, "But, Winifred old girl, that's an entirely different matter."
"Huh!" Winifred says with a huff.
"Different, entirely, "Hathi adds.
"That little girl is no different than our own son. Now you help find her, or I'm taking over command," Winifred says.
"What! A female leading my herd? Utterly preposterous," Hathi asks in shock.
Junior walks over to his father and asks, Pop? The girl cub and I are friends. She'll get hurt If we don't find her. Please, Pop? Sir? Please?"
Hathi begins to show a smile, and says, "Now don't you worry, son. Your father had a plan in mind all the time."
"Sure you did," Winifred reamarks.
Hathi hears it, and decides to ignore it.
He then shouts, "Troopers! Company, left face!"
The elephants turn forward and face the Colonel
"Volunteers for a special mission will step one pace forward," Hathi says, having his back turned.
The elephants take a big step back, except the one who is chewing. He stops chewing long enough to quickly get back to the others.
Hathi turns around, and chuckles, "That's what I like to see. Devotion to duty. Now, you volunteers will find the lost girl cub."
"Oh, thank you, Colonel. Now there's no time to lose," Bagheera says. Then runs along the trees to get a head start on the search.
"Yes, yes," Hathi says.
He turns to the troops, and says, "Well, bugler. When the girl cub is sighted, you will sound your trumpet three times"
"Yes, sir," the elephant, Bugler, turns his trunk around to for a trumpet and blows on it.
But Hathi squeezes the trunk to silence him
Hathi whispers, "Not now, soldier."
"Sorry, sir," Bugler says.
"Lieutenant, our strategy shall be the element of surprise," Hathi says to the elephant with the buzz cut.
Hathi leans to his ear and whispers, You will take one squad and cover the right flank."
Shere Khan leans a little close to listen.
"Yes, sir," The lieutenant whispers.
Then Hathi quietly adds as the elephants listen in on the conversation, "And I shall lead the other squad on the left flank. Very well.
Just then, Hathi shouts, "Company!"
The three elephants bump into each other feelings their head shakes. Shere Khan also gets a bit shaken by the shouting.
"Forward march!" Hathi commands.
Soon Hathi and the Jungle Patrol begins to march into the jungle, crushing the trees and plants in their path.
"Element of surprise? Oh, I say. " Shere Khan says to himself, letting out a little chuckle.
"And now for my rendezvous with the little lost girl cub," shere Khan adds, walking away from the scene.
Now that he knows there's a girl cub around, he going to track her down to finish her off.