The Jungle Book: Chapter 11

By: jungleboy69

Chapter 11: Human Lessons

Mowgli found himself in one of the tents. "Do you like it...?" Cassie asked as she entered the tent. "This is where me and the other kids sleep." The Man-Cub looked around at the strange beds. "Your...den...?" He asked.

Cassie shrugged. "Yes...you might say it is a den..." She replied. Mowgli looked around. "These humans are very much like me..." He thought. "They must be really wise if they can make sure strange things..."

He approached one of the shelves and looked at the strange objects in them. "These are books, Mowgli." Cassie explained. "You like them?" "Books?" Mowgli repeated, the strange word rolling on his tongue.

"Yeah...you read them." Cassie spoke as she took a book from the shelf and showed it to the Man-Cub. The cover had pictures of different kinds of animals, much to Mowgli's amazement. "It's my favorite book." Cassie replied. "It's a book about animals."

To Mowgli's wonder, Cassie opened the book to reveal all sorts of pictures of animals on strange sheets. He leaned forward to get a closer, the pictures looked so real. He reached forward to touch a picture of a strange brown creature with long legs, a mane and a long busy tail

Cassie smiled. "It's a horse..." She replied. "H-Horse..." Mowgli repeated. "Yes, horse." Cassie replied. "Seems that you are getting well acquainted." A voice spoke up. Cassie turned to see her mother. "Hey, Mom." The former spoke up.

"How is our guest doing?" Lydia asked. "I'm just showing Mowgli some of my favorite books." Cassie replied. "Books." Mowgli repeated. Lydia couldn't help but chuckle at Mowgli's curiosity before she kneeled to him, smiling gently.

"I can teach you to read if you like, Mowgli." She offered to the Man-Cub. "Read...?" Mowgli asked in confusion. "Yeah, my mom is the best teacher." Cassie added. Mowgli grew surprised, he remembered his lessons with Baloo.

"If I am to earn the humans trust..." He thought. "I need to learn their ways..." "Teach...Mowgli..." He replied. Lydia smiled kindly. "Of course, sweetie..." She replied before looking him up and down. "First, I think you need a bath..." She added, looking at his filthy body.

(A while later...)

The sounds of howls and shrieks, along with splashing came from the bath tent. The kids and the mothers watched from outside in amusement. "How long have they been at it?" Saavni asked. "1 hour..." Cassie replied.

"Should we help?" Messua asked. "I'm sure the men will have it under control." Lydia assured. "Not exactly..." A voice spoke and Sean emerged from the tent, soaking wet and covered in soapy bubbles.

"Hahahahahahaha!" The women and kids burst out laughing. "Honey...what...happened...to you?!" Eveyln asked between laughs. "That...boy..." Sean gasped. "He puts up...quite a fight..." "Oi, Sean!" Jacob called out from the tent. "I need a hand here!"

Sean groaned and returned back to the tent, leaving the women and children giggling. "Almost done...!" Jacob called out again. "All we have to do know is get him to wear some clothes..!" The ladies and children waited patiently as they waited for Mowgli to come.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Man-Cub emerged from the tent, all cleaned and wearing only a pair of brown shorts on him. "That was the only thing he would wear." Mohan pointed out as the other fathers joined them. "He didn't like the shirts very much..."

Mowgli looked at his new appearance, he seemed a little strange all shiny and squeaky clean but he figured he would have to learn these strange 'human' customs if he needed to earn their trust.

"Well, are you ready for your first lesson, Mowgli?" Lydia asked kindly. Mowgli nodded. "Mowgli...ready..." He replied, ready to learn about these strange creatures called 'men'.

(A few hours later...)

Mowgli never realized how strange man-speech was. First, he had to learn something called the alphabet which was made up of strange symbols called letters like 'A', 'B' and 'C'. Next, he had to learn how to combine these letters into words like 'cat', 'frog' or 'boat'.

The Man-Cub was fascinated by the numerous words there were in man-speech. He wanted learn all sorts of words he could create. Lydia was a patient and kind teacher who enjoyed Mowgli's eagerness and curiosity.

Cassie and the other girls joined the lessons so they could help Mowgli with longer words. Saavni and Davy joined in too, not because they wanted to study but because they wanted to know all about Mowgli's life in the jungle.

"You are learning well, Mowgli." Lydia pointed out. "You're catching on well..." Mowgli nodded quietly. "Words...strange..." He replied. "You'll get used to it." Cassie replied. "Mother teaches a lot of children back home in America."

"Amer...ica...?" Mowgli asked in confusion, never hearing of such a strange place. "Oh, America is where I live with my family." Cassie explained. "It's a land far across the ocean." "America..." Mowgli repeated "What...is...America?"

"Well, it's got streets, houses, roads..." Cassie replied, with an excited smile. "There are schools, hospitals and shopping malls too!" Lindy added. "Shop...ping...Malls?" Mowgli asked in confusion. "Oh...never mind..." Lindy replied in embarrassment.

"Having fun?" Alex asked as he and the others came into the school tent. "How are Mowgli's 'human' lessons coming along?" "Quite well." Lydia replied. "Mowgli is quite a fast learner." "Good to hear." Her husband, Jacob replied. "Well, Alex and I have been reviewing over past records of any children that have been lost over the past years but we found nothing..."

"You couldn't find any clue to Mowgli's birth parents?" Lydia asked. "I'm afraid not." Alex replied as the others joined them. "We combed through every news article of any lost boy lost or abandoned in the jungle, but we found nothing..."

"So, Mowgli has no family...?" Eveyln murmured sadly. "That's so sad..." "I...have...family..." Mowgli replied, getting their attention. "Wolves...my...family..." Everyone looked at each other. "Mowgli...we mean your human family..." Arya explained. "Your birth parents..."

Mowgli grew confused. "Mowgli...not man...Mowgli...wolf." He spoke. Everyone grew more concerned. "Mowgli...can you tell us how long you have been living with the wolves?" Alex asked. The former nodded. "Ten seasons..." He replied.

"Ten seasons...?" Kabir repeated in shock. "That long...?" Mowgli smiled a bit. "Mother Wolf...Father Wolf...and Wolf brothers care for me..." He replied. "Baloo...Bagheera...taught me much..."

"Baloo? Bagheera?" Lydia asked in surprise. "Who are they?" "My teachers..." Mowgli replied. "They taught me...hunting...the Jungle Law..." "Jungle Law?" Alex asked. "What is that?"

*AAAAAAAWWWOOOOOOOOO!*

A distant howl of wolves echoed through the air and the families froze. Mowgli lifted his head and, in an instant, he raced outside the school tent. "Mowgli!" Cassie cried as she hurried out after him.

Everyone followed to see Mowgli staring into the distance, the wolves' howling again. "Mowgli, what is it?" Cassie asked. "Wolves...calling...me..." The Man-Cub replied. "I...must...go..." The families were shocked.

"Woah, hold on!" Sean exclaimed. "You can stay with us!" "Yes, you don't have to leave!" Lydia added. "You can stay here!" Mowgli looked back and stared at them. "My...family...I...have...to go..."

"Will you come back!?" Cassie asked, worriedly. The Man-Cub looked at her and smiled, which made her heart skip a beat. "I...will..." He replied, before he leapt to the trees. Before anyone could stop him, Mowgli was swinging away through the branches, deeper into the Jungle.

The families could only stare in amazement at the sight. For Cassie, she watched breathlessly as the Man-Cub swung away. Little did she and her family know that this would start the most amazing adventure they would have.