Chapter 6

The jungle sweltered in the early morning, steam rising from the warm muddy river. Along the shore, a lone wolf cub picked at thorns from his paws, trying his hardest not to cry. It was at that moment Mowgli dropped down from a vine he had practiced swinging on and plopped into the river.

" Hey, Gray. What's wrong with you?" Mowgli asked as he padded his way to the shore.

" sniff, I was with the rest of the cubs and this happened." the cub displayed his paw to show a series of thorns lodged in it.

" Looks like it was from the raw paw fruit. What were you doing with that?"

" Baloo made us pick us fruit! How was I supposed to know the difference?"

" Did you listen to his jingle?"

The wolf cub bashfully looked away " No, I mean, most of the time the stuff he teaches doesn't matter. I'm a wolf, what do I need with fruit?"

Mowgli gently took his brother's paw " I know what you mean. I used to think Bagheera was as stiff as a log in his lessons, but man, I really did need to listen to them. Maybe while I get these thorns out, I can tell you what happened."

The tale Mowgli tells takes place many years before Gray was born, long before he met Baloo, when he was much younger. It was a time when he still lived with the wolf pack. Often he would spend his days mingling with the cubs or following his parents Rama and Raksha. But this tale was not one of those instances, as he spent the morning bobbing through roots and tree trunks. His breathe was growing very labored, but Mowgli felt a slight amount of relieve when he looked over his shoulder.

" Ha, you'll never catch me-" Mowgli began to gloat before being slammed face first into the dirt gently. He looked up to see Bagheera placing a paw gently on his back, which was enough to keep the man cub down.

" Rule number one of the hunt, neither prey nor predator gloats on the outcome."

" Oh, come on. I did so much better than the last two times you caught me."

" Mowgli, the sambar doesn't brag when it dodges the claws of the tiger after getting gouged at."

The little boy finally managed to get loose from the panther's hold and waved a finger " I can handle myself."

The panther just scoffed sarcastically " Yes, yes and you can send the Red Dogs running with their tails between their legs. Now, now I think that's enough for one day. We'll resume tomorrow." Bagheera then left the man cub to head back to his wolf family, scaling up the nearest tree and began to soar between branches. Mowgli normally would have gone back to his family, but now Bagheera's sarcasm really had gotten. His face boiled, or at least as much as a child could. How could Bagheera constantly belittle him like that? He was tough enough for the jungle and just about anyone in it.

" I'll show him, I can take on one of those lizard eating fur toed filled guys."

The jungle progressively turned drier, the leaves turning from neon green to waste brown and eventually became non-existent at all. Mowgli was heading into Red Dog territory, where even the air seemed harsh and scratchy, as game was scarce and water even more so. The more and more Mowgli looked around, he realized how hasty he had been. " Great, hope it doesn't it get any worse."

" For you it does." A gruff voice called out behind the man cub. Mowgli turned to see that the red dry land revealed a dhloe, a Red Dog. She was smaller and scrawnier than the wolves, but seemed to be more tenacious in the eye for meat.

" Us? It's a great turn of fortune."

" Us?"

The red dog twisted her head in a snapshot, signifying the rest of her pack to come out. All their eyes were full of primal hunger.

" To think, we'll be able to have a man cub for lunch. You wanna howl for help, twerp?" the red dog sneered.

Mowgli was shaking like a like a leaf, but he tried his best to give a wolf's growl, only resulting in a weak mewling.

" Oh, what was that? Couldn't hear you."

But now this next time, instead of a little boy's cry or even a wolf's howl, a panther's roar emitted from behind, revealing to be an angry Bagheera. The panther leapt down, unsheathing his claws and glaring his teeth. Despite the calm demeanor he had, Bagheera had built a fierce reputation as one of the most feared hunters in the jungle. Whereas Shere Khan earned that title through bullying, Bagheera had earned it through hard efforts in his hunts.

" Perhaps now you can hear that message." He grit through his fangs. " Now GO!" That sent the red dogs cowering back, running with their tail between their legs.

" Yeah, we sure showed them, right Bagheera?"

The panther then turned, dragging Mowgli by the underpants back to the wolf pack. " I swear, man will give me gray fur sooner than later."

" See what I mean?" Mowgli asked in the present day to Gray.

" If you mean that you were silly enough to take on the Red Dogs on alone, than-"

" What, no! I mean that sometimes you gotta listen to your teachers, even if you don't like it."

It was at that moment Baloo lumbered down to where the two were. " There you are, Gray. Man, I got worried sick."

" Mr. Baloo, I'm sorry I got angry and left. I should have listen to you more closely. Maybe then I wouldn't have gotten hurt."

" Oh. come on now kid. Everyone makes a mistake or two. Besides, maybe I really should be teaching you more than just the bare necessities. Come on, let's get back. Maybe you could jog my mind up with some new lesson plans."

As the wolf cub and the bear walked back with renewed spirits, Mowgli felt a new feeling coming over him. It was a type of happiness, but one unfamiliar to him. For the first time, he had been the wiser person and helped in the same way Bagheera had always helped him. In a way, the man cub was learning- or in this instance teaching- his way to becoming a man.