The Second Jungle Book is a collection of stories and poems by Rudyard Kipling published in 1895. It continues the adventures of Mowgli, the boy raised by wolves in the Indian jungle, and includes other tales such as The Miracle of Purun Bhagat. Each story is followed or preceded by a poem, including The Law of the Jungle.
Mowgli's stories
Five of the eight stories feature Mowgli, from his life with the wolf pack to the day he leaves the jungle to live among men.
His friends Baloo the bear, Bagheera the panther and Kaa the python return, along with new enemies such as the red dogs, the dholes.
Other tales
The Miracle of Purun Bhagat tells of an Indian statesman who gives up power to become a holy man in the Himalayas and saves a village.
Quiquern takes place in the Arctic, among the Inuit, showing the range of Kipling's settings.
The Law of the Jungle
The poem The Law of the Jungle sets out, in rhyming couplets, the rules that govern the wolf pack.
Its lines on the strength of the pack and of the individual wolf are among Kipling's most quoted.
Anecdotes
Written in Vermont
Kipling wrote both Jungle Books while living in Brattleboro, Vermont, in the United States, where he had settled with his American wife.
Scouting
Robert Baden-Powell used the Jungle Books as the basis for the Cub Scouts, founded in 1916, whose leaders took names like Akela and Baloo.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Mowgli?
A boy raised by wolves in the Indian jungle.
When was The Second Jungle Book published?
In 1895.
Where did Kipling write it?
In Vermont, in the United States.