The Jungle Book: Chapter 18

By: jungleboy69

Chapter 18: Life in the Jungle

For the next few weeks, things have been exciting for Mowgli and the human families. Ever since the humans had been accepted into the pack, they built their camp closer to the Seeonee Hills. News traveled far and wide through the Jungle that the wolf pack accepted humans into the Pack.

The girls were especially eager; this meant they could spend more time with Mowgli. They began to join Mowgli with Baloo's lessons, learning the Laws of the Jungles. Their parents joined them too, wanting to learn more about these Laws.

They also met some of Mowgli's animal friends; like Rama, the son of Sinha, Mang, the Fruit Bat and Kichi, the Red Panda. They were fascinated by these human friends Mowgli had made. Currently, all of them were having lessons with Baloo with Bagheera watching them from a branch of a tree.

"You must learn the Wood and Water Laws if you wish live in the Jungle." The Bear spoke. "You need feet that make no noise, eyes that see in the dark, ears that hear the winds in their lairs and sharp white teeth..."

The humans listened in wonder; Alex took down some notes in his notebook. "I don't think we have any of those..." Lindy asked nervously. Baloo let out a grunting laugh. "You will learn them...your senses, your wits; they will become stronger, just like Mowgli's"

The Man-Cub blushed a bit. "Now, I heard Mowgli has been teaching you the Master Words, hasn't he?" Baloo asked. The kids smiled. "Yeah...Mowgli has been teaching us so much!" Davy replied grinned.

The Bear grunted in laughter. "Well, then..." He replied. "Why don't each of you speak the Master Words for me?" The girls grinned as Cassie went first. "We be of one blood, ye and I!" She spoke in the language of the wolves.

"Impressive..." Baloo spoke. "Now, Lindy, give me the Master Words for the birds." The latter cleared her throat. "We be of one blood, ye and I!" She spoke, whistling at the end like a hawk. "Now, Shanti..." The Bear added. "Give me the Master Words for the snakes."

"We be of one blood, ye and I!" Shanti replied, hissing out the words. Bagheera chuckled. "Well, Baloo..." He pointed out. "It seems that our Mowgli has become quite a teacher!" Mowgli puffed up his chest with pride. "You see, Baloo, Bagheera, I know all the languages of the Jungle!"

Everyone laughed at the Man-Cub's antics. "You see..." Baloo rumbled to the human adults. "Mowgli has always been my best student." "He is the best at climbing, swimming and running." He added. "I taught him to speak to the wild bees when he wants honey and how to warn the water snakes before diving in."

"I must say, Baloo..." Sean replied. "I never knew how wise you were." The Bear grunted a bit. "I have learnt the Laws of the Jungle since I was a cub." "There is one thing I don't understand." Arya spoke up. "How did a Bear like you become a teacher to wolf cubs?"

The other human parents were also curious about that. "Me too..." Jacob added. "Wolves and Bears don't normally get along..." Baloo scratched his chin. "True...it is but I owe the wolves a great debt..." He replied. "Akela and his pack saved my life."

Everyone grew taken aback. "Saved your life, Baloo?" Mowgli asked. The Bear nodded. "Yes...I was just a cub, living with my mother and brother..." He replied. "One day, I wandered off and ended up in the swamp...home to the Crocodiles."

Everyone listened intently. "Three huge Crocodiles...emerged from the swamp..." Baloo continued. "They surrounded me...their jaws snapping and their teeth flashing in the sun light." "I felt I wouldn't make it out...until my mother came rushing in..."

The mother and girls gasped a bit. "She fought them off as best she could but she couldn't fight three of them at once." Baloo hesitated. "Just as it seemed she was about to be torn apart, the wolves came...led by a brave and noble wolf...Akela..."

Everyone listened in shocked silence. "What I saw that day, I will never forget it..." Baloo replied. "Akela was much younger, almost in his prime." "He and his pack drove off the crocodiles and saved me and my mother." He explained. "I was forever grateful to Akela and the Seeonee Wolf Pack for saving my family."

"I began to spend time with the wolves; Akela was the one who taught me all I knew about the Jungle Law." The Bear pointed out. "When I was grown, I decided to repay Akela's kindness by becoming a teacher for the wolf cubs."

Everyone was amazed by the story. "I never knew that, Baloo..." Mowgli replied softly. The Bear nodded and let out a soft grunt. "Well...that's enough for the day!" He grunted. "I believe Rama will be expecting you."

"Oh, yeah!" Mowgli replied, getting up on his feet. "Rama told me that new cubs are being born into the pride and he's invited us to see them!" "Really?!" Cassie squealed in excitement. "Can we see them, Mom!?"

Lindy chuckled. "Well, I don't see why not...as long as you all stay together...and if Bagheera goes with you." The Panther nodded. "Of course!" He replied as he leapt down from the branch of the tree. "I have been meaning to visit young Rama for some time."

"Great!" Mowgli replied as he and the other kids followed Bagheera to Lion's Land while the human parents stayed behind with Baloo. The Bear rumbled in laughter. "Mowgli always had this habit of making new friends." He replied. "I can't say I'm surprised how fast how you accepted him."

The human adults chuckled as well. "Well, we were surprised ourselves." Messua replied. "We never thought we would discover the fabled 'Jungle Ghost' was just a boy." "Jungle Ghost...?" Baloo laughed again. "Is that what the humans have been calling Mowgli?"

"Yes..." Alex replied. "In fact, part of the reason why we came to the Jungle was to discover if the 'Jungle Ghost' was real..." "Who would have thought we would end up having the experience of a lifetime..." He added.

Baloo gave a thoughtful expression. "Tell me...you all said you come from a land far away from the Jungle." He spoke. "I would like to know more about it...if it pleases you..." The human parents looked at each other. "Well, it's hard to explain..." Alex replied. "so you best make yourself comfortable..."

(Some time later...with the kids and Bagheera...)

Lion's Land was at the edge of a vast plain where herds of deer and wild buffalo grazed nearby and flocks of birds flew overhead. The Pride lived in a rocky outcrop with dens where the lionesses and their cubs slept. Now, we find Mowgli and his friends playing with Rama and the lion cubs under the watchful eye of their mothers.

"You are so adorable!" Lindy squealed as she hugged a lion cub who mewed and batted her paws at her hair. "You have so cute cubs, Mr Rama...I mean, your Majesty!" She added to a young lion who lay nearby with Mowgli and Bagheera.

Rama chuckled. "I am glad you are enjoying yourselves." The young lion replied. "But, please, call me Rama." "Any friend of Mowgli is a friend of mine!" He added. Mowgli grinned. "Didn't I tell you how amazing they are?" He pointed out.

"It must be cool being friends with a lion!" Davy pointed out as he played tug-of-war with a lion cub. "Especially a prince!" "Well, Rama is more than a friend." Mowgli explained, hugging Rama's furry neck, making him purr. "He's like another brother to me."

"Rama sometimes joined me when I had lessons with Baloo or hunting with Bagheera." He added. "At times, I even visit him and his father on Lion's Land." "And you were like another son to me." A deep voice spoke out.

Everyone turned to see Sinha returning from his patrol. "Father, you have returned!" Rama spoke. "Yes, my son." The Lion replied. "It is good to see you again, Mowgli." "Likewise, your Majesty." Mowgli replied, bowing to him.

"And how are our human guests coming along?" Sinha added, turning to the human children. "We are fine!" Shanti replied. "Thank you for inviting us, your Majesty" One of the cubs who was snuggling with Cassie spoke up. "I like these human cubs! They smell nice!"

Cassie giggled and stroked the cub. "Thank you!" "So, are you Mowgli's mate?" The cub asked innocently. Cassie turned red in embarrassment. "Who?! Me?!" She squealed. "No! We're just friends!"

"Really?" Bagheera asked. "Because, you three girl-cubs seemed to leave an impression on Mowgli." "We have?" Shanti asked. "Yes." The Panther replied. "Whenever Mowgli talks or even thinks about any of you, he tells me he feels a strange warm feeling in his chest and his face grows red."

The girls grew surprised and they looked at Mowgli, who was blushing in embarrassment. "Mowgli, is that true?" Cassie asked. The Man-Cub shyly nodded. "Yes..." He replied. "I can never get you girls out of my mind..."

The girls grew red as beetroots. "Oooh, you girls are blushing!" Saavni teased as she stroked a lion cub. "We are not!" Shanti argued. "You all like Mowgli~!" Davy and some of the lion cubs chanted in a sing-song voice. "You all like Mowgli~!"

Mowgli and the girls grew redder while the Lions and the Panther looked on in amusement. "No, little ones." Sinha chuckled. "It's not nice to make fun of someone's feelings." "Besides, I think the human-cubs are still too young to talk about being mates..." The Lion added.

"Speaking of which, I think you should help Rikki." Bagheera pointed out. "I think he would like a break." Sure enough, the poor Mongoose was being cuddled by two rowdy lion cubs. "HELP!" He shrieked. "I'm being drowned by giant balls of fluff!"

"Don't worry, Rikki." Mowgli laughed. "Let me help you." As Mowgli tried to soothe the cubs of Rikki, he didn't notice the girls looking at him with shy blushes.