The Jungle Book: Chapter 13
By: jungleboy69
Chapter 13: Lessons in Etiquette
It was a pleasant surprise for everyone to see Mowgli back in the camp again. "I told you, he would be back!" Cassie replied with a grin. "I knew Mowgli would return!" "Well...it's good to see you again, Mowgli." Alex added with a smile.
The Man-Cub nodded. "Thank...you..." He replied. "Well, I have some prata baking." Messua spoke with a smile. "You are welcome to join us for breakfast." Mowgli smiled. "Yes...please." Cassie approached Mowgli with a smile. "I knew you would come back, Mowgli" She replied kindly.
Mowgli nodded. "I...promised...you..." He pointed out. "I...wanted...to see...you again..." Cassie blushed and smiled again. Davy grinned. "Oooh, you're blushing, sis~!" He squealed. "Be quiet, you!" Cassie snapped at her brother.
Mowgli didn't seem to care, he just smiled. The more he spent time with these humans, the more he wanted to learn more about them. He was especially fascinated by Cassie, who possessed an adventurous and free spirit just like him. "Wonder what I will learn from them today?" He thought.
(During breakfast...)
Mowgli devoured his plate of roti-prata with eggs, onions and curry. The families could only stare at how messy he was eating. "I think the next lesson would for Mowgli to learn some table manners." Alex replied with a chuckle.
Everyone chuckled at that statement as he ate. "Well, I agree." Sean added, clearing his throat. "I think it's best for Mowgli to learn some etiquette lessons." "If he is to meet other humans one day, he has to learn how to be behave around them."
Mowgli looked up in surprise. "E-Etti-quette?" He asked, confused at the strange word. Evelyn smiled. "It's alright, Mowgli." She replied. "Etiquette means knowing how to act around other humans."
Mowgli grew thoughtful. "This 'etiquette' sounds strange..." He thought. "Still, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to learn it." "Can...I...learn...etiquette...?" He asked. Everyone was surprised. "Why, certainly!" Evelyn spoke with a smile. "Sean and I can teach you!"
She turned to her daughter, Lindy. "Well, darling?" She asked. "What do you say?" Lindy nodded with a smile. "I guess it wouldn't hurt." She replied. "Is that alright with you, Cassie?" She asked her friend.
"Sure." Cassie nodded. "I know you and Mowgli will become good friends." "It's settled then!" Sean replied with a grin. "We'll start right after breakfast!"
(After breakfast, in the O'Neils tent...)
The O'Neils tent was rather fancy looking; Mowgli had never seen such a large tent before. "This is where we sleep." Sean explained to the Man-Cub as the O'Neils showed them around their tent.
Mowgli marveled the size of the tent and the hammocks. "Tent...big..." He murmured. As he looked around, he gasped when he saw something huge with a smooth reflective surface and he could see himself in it! He growled at the strange object but Evelyn calmed him down.
"Mowgli, it's okay!" She laughed. "That is only a mirror!" Mowgli stopped and calmed down. "M-Mirror...?" He asked. Lindy giggled. "Yeah, it's just a mirror." She approached it and Mowgli was amazed to see another Lindy appear in the mirror.
"See?" She asked, waving her hand at the mirror and her reflection did the same. "It's harmless..." Mowgli cautiously walked closer and stared at his reflection. He never seen a mirror before. The surface was so smooth and he could see a clear view of himself, not even the river was this clear.
"Alright, Mowgli..." Evelyn spoke up. "Ready for your etiquette lessons?" The former nodded. "What...I...do?" He asked. The O'Neils smiled at each other, much to Mowgli's confusion. "We'll show you..."
(A while later...)
Mowgli sat on a chair with the O'Neils sitting in front of him, holding on to strange boards. "First, we'll start with clear speech." Sean replied. "When speaking with other people, you must speak clearly so others may understand you."
Mowgli nodded a bit. "Now, we will show you letters and you try your best to speak them out." Evelyn added. Mowgli nodded again, remembering the letters from Lydia's lessons. "Okay, ready?" She asked. "Re..ady..." Mowgli repeated. Evelyn lifted up her board to show the letter 'A'.
"Aaaaeeeii..." Mowgli spoke out. Lindy giggled as she held up her board to reveal a letter 'B'. "Beeeeeee..." Mowgli spoke out again. When Sean lifted up his board to show the letter 'C', Mowgli's response was 'Ceeeeeeee...'
The Man-Cub blushed in embarrassment, feeling a little stupid. Lindy gave him an encouraging smile. "It's alright, Mowgli." She assured him. "It takes time and practice to speak clearly." "You can do it." Mowgli smiled back. "Now, let's continue..." Sean added.
The O'Neils showed Mowgli the other letters of the alphabet and the latter tried his best to speak them, with some hilarious results like 'Geeeeee' or 'Peeeeee' and 'Uoooooooo!'. Lindy couldn't help but giggle at his attempts but continued to encourage him.
(Another while...)
Next was basic table manners and table etiquette. Mowgli found himself sitting on a table with Sean sitting opposite from him. "When eating with people, you have to learn use utensils like these." He explained, showing him a plate with a fork, a spoon and a knife before him.
Mowgli stared at the strange 'utensils' with great curiosity. "Here, let me show you." Sean told him as he picked up the fork and knife and made a cutting motion. Mowgli watched with interest. "See, this is how we eat." Sean replied.
Next, Sean picked up the spoon. "We use the spoon to eat soup." He added. "Soup...?" Mowgli asked. "Here, give it a try." Sean replied, handing Mowgli the spoon. The Man-Cub took the spoon and held it in his hands, noticing the shiny surface at the end.
He sniffed it and licked it; it tasted cold and bland. Sean chuckled a bit, and so did his wife and daughter who were sitting nearby. "How about we try some tea?" Eveyln pointed out as she picked up a teapot and poured a strange brown liquid into two teacups.
Mowgli watched curiously as she placed the teacups before him and Sean. "Now, Mowgli, watch me." The latter replied as he picked up a smaller spoon and began to stir the tea. The Man-Cub picked up a smaller spoon but as he stirred, Sean exclaimed. "No! No! Wait!"
Mowgli grew taken aback before Sean cleared his throat. "Stir clockwise..." He replied, showing him the way he stirred. The Man-Cub nodded and imitated his actions. Humans were certainly strange
(Another while later...)
Finally, there was the lesson of 'courtesy.' Mowgli and Lindy were sitting, watching the latter's parents. "Now, Mowgli..." Evelyn replied. "Courtesy is another word for showing good manners." " Court...esy..." The Man-Cub repeated the word.
"Courtesy means showing kindness, compassion and respect to everyone around you." Evelyn continued. "It means being friendly and helpful to your friends or family." Mowgli nodded, he seemed to understand it...his lessons with Baloo taught him to respect all creatures of the jungle.
"Now, watch how we do it." Sean pointed out as he and his wife faced each other. The former bowed to her. "It is good to meet you, my lady..." He spoke in a suave tone. "The pleasure is mine." Evelyn replied with a wry smile.
Lindy giggled and even Mowgli cracked a smile. Sean took Evelyn's hand and kissed it gently. Mowgli grew confused; he had never seen a strange gesture before. "It's called a kiss." Sean explained to a baffled Mowgli. "It's how people show affection to each other."
Mowgli grew thoughtful. In the wolf pack, fellow wolves show affection by nuzzles or licks but he had never known what a kiss was. When he saw Lindy beside him, he got an idea. Much to everyone's surprise and to Lindy's shock, Mowgli took her hand, planted his lips on it and kissed it.
"M-Mowgli!" Lindy squealed, her face red. The Man-Cub looked at her in surprise. "Kiss...affect...tion..." He replied. Lindy grew redder and pulled her hand away. "W-Well...you shouldn't kiss someone without permission..." She explained, trying to calm her blushing heart.
Mowgli frowned a bit. "You...no...like...kiss...?" He asked. Lindy's face grew red like a beetroot. "What...No...!" She squealed. "I didn't say I don't like it!" "Well...I didn't say...I didn't like it...I mean to say...well...that is..." The poor girl could only stutter and mumble in embarrassment while Mowgli looked on in curiosity.
Her parents looked on in amusement. Things were certainly going to be interesting.