Letting in the Jungle

"Letting In the Jungle" is a short story by Rudyard Kipling which continues Mowgli's adventures from "Mowgli's Brothers" and "Tiger! Tiger!". The story was written at Kipling's parents' home in Tisbury, Wiltshire, and is therefore the only Mowgli story not written in Vermont.

It was published in the Pall Mall Gazette and the Pall Mall Budget for December 13, 1894, and in McClure's Magazine for January 1895, before being collected as the third story in The Second Jungle Book (1895).

In the previous story Mowgli fulfilled his vow to kill the tiger Shere Khan and to lay his hide upon the wolfpack's Council Rock, but was cast out of the human village after its chief hunter Buldeo learned of his friendship with wolves and accused him of sorcery.

Mowgli returns to the jungle and tries to forget humanity, but Akela tells him that Buldeo is still searching for him. Grey Brother suggests killing Buldeo, but Mowgli angrily forbids him.

Mowgli and the wolves stalk Buldeo and eavesdrop on his conversation with some charcoal-burners. Mowgli is shocked to discover that the villagers have imprisoned his adoptive human parents, Messua and her husband, and are planning to execute them for fostering Mowgli.

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