The Jungle Book (My Version): Chapter 2
By: jungleboy69
Chapter 2: The Council Rock
It was almost sunset when Vihaan and Raksha took their cubs to Council Rock the following evening, where it stands in a large area with rocky cliffs behind. Standing at the pointed sharp edge of a cliff where a small tree grew at the edge, was Akela, the Great Grey Lone Wolf and leader of the Pack.
In all his years of leading the pack, Akela had ruled with strength, cunning and honor. It was also his job as leader to inspect the new pups of the pack which consisted of as many as thirty members with Akela himself at the head of the hierarchy.
All the wolves were assembled at the Council, while their cubs played at the center. Akela sniffed each one of them and declared they were fit and strong. He called out to his fellow wolves, "Look well, O wolves. You know the Law. Look well. Let me hear the Law." Then the entire pack young and old began to recite the Jungle Law.
This is the Law of the Jungle, as old and as true as the Sky
The Wolf that shall keep it may Prosper
But the Wolf that shall break it must Die
As the creeper girdles the tree-trunk, the Law runneth forward and back
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf
And the strength of the Wolf is the Pack...
Akela looked over to Raksha. "Raksha, my niece," He spoke in a clear and authoritative voice. "My sister's daughter, you have called Council. What is the matter at hand?" Raksha took a moment to calm herself, she had to be strong for her little frog.
"To Akela, and the Free People," she spoke out. "my mate, Vihaan and I have found...a Man-Cub." Vihaan carried the baby in his mouth as gently as he would carry one of his own cubs and placed him in the center of the Council. The pack, even Akela gasped at this and began to murmur among themselves.
"A man cub!" One wolf called.
"It does not belong here!" Another added.
"We don't want a man's cub!" A third spoke up.
"This is most unusual..." Akela murmured in concern as he gazed upon the bare-naked baby. "Raksha, Vihaan, what is the meaning of this?" "Shere Khan happened." Raksha replied with bitterness. "The Lame Tiger has killed the boy's parents and he wandered into my den."
"HHHHUUUUURRRRROOOOOAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Just then, a majestic roar was heard and the pack turned to see a ruddy-tawny coated male lion with a dark brown mane, golden eyes and a gaze that made most other animals either tremble in fear or stand in wonder. It was Sinha, King of the Beasts, Lord of the Lion-Tribe and Keeper of the Jungle Law. With him, a small lion cub bounded between his legs and looked around with interest.
The entire pack bowed their heads in respect for the King who spoke in a soft and gentle voice. "Greeting, Sinha." Akela spoke. "My old friend." "Greetings, Akela and you, O wolves. I had heard of Shere Khan's latest atrocity, and I wished to see if the rumors were true." And as Sinha spoke, he noticed the baby who turned and looked at him.
"So...this is the man-cub Shere Khan seeks to hunt and kill." He rumbled gently. "Hmmm, he seems rather small for a man-cub, but I see no danger or malice in him." The baby reached up and touched the Lion's nose, stroking it and making Sinha rumble in amusement.
The lion cub looked on with interest before he approached the human-cub. The baby turned and smiled, crawling over to the little lion and reaching out to him with his chubby hand. The lion cub purred and nuzzled against the baby, making it giggle. "Father...I like him." He spoke. "He smiles nice..."
Sinha chuckled and the wolves murmured quietly. Akela turned back to Raksha. "Raksha, you wish to raise this cub as one of your own?" He asked. The latter nodded. "I do." She replied firmly. Akela paused, feeling shocked before turning to Vihaan. "And what of you, Vihaan?" He asked. "I do." The latter replied.
The wolves raised their voices, saying that Vihaan and Raksha were making a mistake. Akela remained silent before he approached the man-cub and gazed curiously into its blue eyes. The baby stared back at the Great Grey Wolf, gurgling and smiling at him. Akela had never seen the eyes of a man cub before, nor seen any creature brave enough to face him.
Straightening up, Akela straightened up and spoke aloud. "You know the Law." "This cub was not born among us." He added. "Two pack members who are not his parents must speak for the cub to live among us."
He turned to Sinha. "I am sorry, Sinha." He apologized. "But, I'm afraid even though you are King, your words are not enough to hold sway over us." "You do not need to apologize, old friend." Sinha assured. "I may be King, but I am also a subject to the Law."
Akela nodded before turning to the Pack. "Now, which one among you will speak for the cub?" He called. There was silence which worried Raksha and Vihaan terribly. "If no one speaks up, I will fight to the death for my little Frog." She whispered.
"My love, calm yourself." Vihaan whispered back. "You know as his parents, we can's speak up for Mowgli or else I would sponsor him myself." "But, it is the Law and we must obey." He added sadly.
"I will speak for the cub!" A loud, grizzly voice spoke up from behind the crowd. The wolves and the Lion turned to see a hulking brown bear walking through the crowd and standing before Akela. It was Baloo, the Bear and the teacher of the young cubs.
His eyes were as brown as the bark of a tree and his limbs were as thick and strong as tree-stumps. He was known for his firm and rough attitude, befitting a bear, on the outside, but on the inside he was also a well-meaning animal with a heart as sweet as honey, his favorite treat.
As a matter of fact, Baloo's diet consisted particularly of nuts, fruits, roots, fish and honey. So, he was the only other animal apart from Sinha, who was allowed at the Pack Council. He had been watching the man-cub from behind and decided to voice his opinion.
"Akela, Your Majesty." Baloo addressed the Wolf and the Lion. "I will be the cub's guardian." "I say that he deserves a chance to run with the pack and I'll teach him the Laws of the Jungle as I teach the rest of your cubs."
Akela nodded. "We have one." He called out. "But we need another." "Who else will speak for the cub?" He added. Once again, there was silence. The wolves at the back didn't utter a single word.
Unexpectedly, a soft, clear purring voice spoke up. "Akela, may I speak?" The pack, Baloo and Sinha looked around to see where the voice was coming from. "Up there!" One wolf shouted. All eyes gazed up but they could only see the night sky and the shadows of the rocky cliffs.
Suddenly, a large shape quickly moved to the left side of the cliffs, jumping from shadow to another until it landed on the ground. It paused silently before it slowly stepped through the crowd.
The Council gasped when they saw who the figure was; a magnificent black leopard with fur as black as the night itself and eyes as yellow as the moon. It was Bagheera, the Black Panther. Everyone in the Jungle knew of his reputation, of his stealth and power.
"Greetings, Akela and the Free People." Bagheera spoke, his voice soft and calm as downy feathers. "Greetings, Baloo and mighty King Sinha." He added. "I am here to speak for the man-cub. I wish to be one of his guardians." The wolves murmured loudly.
"Bagheera is not a member!" One wolf called out.
"He's not a wolf!" Another added.
"He has no say!" A third argued.
"Enough!" Akela declared, silencing the crowd. "Give the Panther a chance to speak." Bagheera nodded graciously. "It is true I am not a member of your Pack." He replied. "But the Law states that the life of a new cub may be bought for a price." "Is that true?" He asked.
Akela nodded. "Yes, that is true." He replied. "I have brought my payment." Bagheera added. "A freshly killed wild bull; it lies on the river bend, missing only one horn." "If you accept the man-cub into the Pack and me as another guardian, the bull is yours." He explained.
The wolves murmured amongst themselves, some licking their lips. A whole bull would feed the pack for weeks. "Do you accept my kill?" Bagheera asked. Akela grew silent for a moment, before he smiled slowly and nodded.
Vihaan and Raksha breathed a sigh of relief and even King Sinha nodded in approval. Some of the younger wolves began to murmur amongst themselves.
"What does it matter? He will die in the winter rains..." One wolf spoke up.
"He will scorch in the sun..." Another added.
"What harm can this naked frog do to us?" A third questioned.
"Akela!" One bold young wolf spoke up. "The pack has no need for a man-cub!" "His parents will come looking for him!" He added.
*GGGGGGGGGRRRRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!*
Suddenly, a loud terrifying roar was heard from the side and all heads turned to the source. Shere Khan was walking along the flat narrow path, with three of his paws stepping perfectly like low, banging drums while his front, right paw crimpled down with his claws scrapping the surface of the ground. With him was Tabaqui, the sniveling Hyena, walking beside him.
"His parents are dead..." The Tiger snarled. "I killed them." "There is no-one to come looking for him..." He added, stopping close enough as the wolves growled and backed away from him. "You dare show your face here, cattle thief?" Sinha growled softly.
"I come and go where I like." Shere Khan snarled at the Lion. "I come to claim my quarry." "You're too late, Khan." Akela snarled back. "The cub has been spoken for. It no longer concerns you."
"The cub is mine." Shere Khan replied. "I already tasted his parents' blood." "It is my right." He eerily added, eying at the baby. "Your right according to whose Law?!" Raksha snapped. "Hunting for pleasure, killing for power! You never known any Law!"
"Best you leave now, Shere Khan!" Akela warned. "The man-cub is now a member of my Pack!" "Careful, Akela..." Shere Khan snarled, his voice growing darker and more sinister. "You do not want to challenge me..."
"Then, maybe I will!" Sinha added, stepping forward. "I am more than a match for you, Law-Breaker." He reminded. "And I am still your King!" "One swipe from me and you'll be crippled for life!" He warned, flashing his teeth.
By now, all the wolves gathered and growled at the Tiger. "This man-cub is under the protection of the Pack." Akela warned him. "Should you decide to take me, you take on the Pack...All of us."
The wolves snarled and snapped their fangs, Sinha and Bagheera lowered their heads and growled, Baloo stood up on his hind legs and roared savagely, causing the Tiger and the Hyena to back away. "As long as I am Leader and Sinha is still your King, this part of the Jungle is closed to you." Akela added.
Shere Khan snapped back. "You cannot be Leaders forever!" "The day you miss your kill...the day Sinha's last breath is taken..." He vowed. "The Man-Cub's blood will run down my chin..." As he said that, he lifted up his crumpled paw and his claw pointed to his top of his chin and slid down to prove his point.
With that, Shere Khan stalked away with Tabaqui at his heels. The wolves smiled, so did Sinha, Baloo and Bagheera. "The cub is spoken for!" Akela declared. "He is one of us!" He turned to Baloo and Bagheera. "Teach him as you would your own." He added. "As long as I am alive, the Pack will stand by the man-cub." With that, Akela lifted up his head and howled loudly.
*AAAAARRRRRRRWWWWWWOOOOOOOO!*
The wolves howled with him while Raksha lovingly nuzzled her little frog, Mowgli. That was how Mowgli was accepted into the Seeonee Wolf Pack by the price of a bull and on Baloo's good word.