Figure 1.-- Here is a modern edition of 'The Jungle Book'. Notice here the illustrator has made the man cub Mowgli an English boy. Most illustrators make him an Indian boy. |
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Perhaps the most beloved of all children's story books is Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. Actually there were two volumes as well as follow up story books with related stories. Kipling was born in India and lived there for several years. Many of his early writings were about the British soldier in India. One of the most famous chronicled Tommy Atkins, the genesis of the term "Tommie" for a British soldier. Kipling also wrote Kim about an orphaned British boy in India. He wrote The Jungle Book interestingly while living in of all places Vermont (1894). It was first published in serialized form in the American children's magazine, Saint Nicholas as were other famous stories at the time such as Little Lord Fauntleroy. Kipling is widely associated with British imperialism because of his other writings. The Jungle Book is entirely devoid of imperialist thought or influence. The stories are timeless and could hasve been done with many other characters and settings. The jungle is in fact a metaphor for civilization. Kipling played an important role in Scouting. Kipling wrote "The Scout's Patrol Song" which was the official Boy Scout song. Kippling contributed a brief version of Kim to Part I of Scouting For Boys. His son became a Scout and he was appointed a comissioner in the British Scouting program. His greatest contribution to Scouting was The Jungle Book which Baden-Powell used as a concept around which to build the Wolf Cubbing program for the younger boys. American Cubbing relied less heavily on Kipling's Jungle Book. There have been many different editions of The Jungle Book published around the world illustrated by different illustrators.
Perhaps the most beloved of all children's story books is Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. Actually there were two volumes as well as follow up story books with related stories.
Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay (December 30, 1865) in the J. J. School of Arts, of which, his father,
Lockwood Kipling, was then head. At the age of 6 years, he was left in a foster home in England. He was extremely unhappy at his foster home/ He entered a boarding school in England (1878). His later writings indicate that he was happy at school, where he started writing. He returned to India (1882) and joined his parents in Lahore where he worked as a journalist with Civil and Military Gazette. He joined The Pioneer in Allahabad as an assistant editor and overseas correspondent (1887). Before he went back to England and settled in London in 1889, he had already become famous for his verses and satirical writings such as Plain Tales from the Hills (1888) and Soldiers Three (1892). By the last decade of the 19th century Rudyard Kipling had become enormously successful as a poet and writer, and was seen as a successor to Charles Dickens. Many of his early writings were about the British soldier in India. One of the most famous chronicled Tommy Atkins, the genesis of the term "Tommie" for a British soldier. Kipling also wrote Kim about an orphaned British boy in India. Kippling married Caroline Starr Balestier in 1892. His two novels, The Jungle Book (1894-95) have now become widely translated classics. His other novels include Kim (1901) and Just So Stories (1902). There are some school scenes in Kim. Of course Kim himself didn't much care for school. Kipling also wrote about an American boy, Harvey Cheney, in Captain's Courageous. He received the Nobel Prize for literature (1907). Rudyard Kipling died in London (January 18, 1936). He was buried in the Poet's Corner at Westminster Abbey. His autobiography Something of Myself appeared (1937).
Kipling wrote The Jungle Book interestingly while living in of all places Vermont (1894).
The Jungle Book (1894) is a collection of short stories with the same setting and characters. Each story begins with a verse. The tales told in the book as well as those in The second volume (1895) are modern fables in the mold of Aesop. He uses the wonderful animals as anthropomorphic characters to tell moral lessons. The verses of The Law of the Jungle actuallyh provide rules for the safety of individuals, families and communities in society. Kipling added virtually everything he knew or "heard or dreamed about the Indian jungle." They make wonderful stories to children who are attraccted to the animal charcters. Adult readeers oftwen see allegories of political and societal life. The best-known of the Jungle Book stories are the three in volume I dealing with the adventures of the abandoned "man cub" Mowgli who is raised by wolves (rather like Romulus and Remus) in the Indian jungle. There are five additional stories about Mowgli in the second volume. The most famous of the stories without Mowgli are "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi", the story of a heroic mongoose, and "Toomai of the Elephants", the tale of a young elephant-handler. "The White Seal" is an often discussed story. The main character seeks a haven for his people pursued by hunters. Some see it as a metaphor for Zionism.
The Jungle Book was first published in serialized form in the American children's magazine, Saint Nicholas (1893-94). Other famous stories at the time such as Little Lord Fauntleroy were also published in St. Nicholas.
Kipling is widely associated with British imperialism because of his other writings. The Jungle Book is entirely devoid of imperialist thought or influence. The stories are timeless and could hasve been done with many other characters and settings. The jungle is in fact a hidden metaphor for civilization.
Kipling played an important role in Scouting. Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts, was a Kipling fan and contacted him about using his work in Scouting publications. He asked Kipling to use the 'Memory Game' in his effort to improve the morale and fitness of working-class youths in cities. Kipling wrote "The Scout's Patrol Song" which was the official Boy Scout song. Kippling contributed a brief version of Kim to Part I of Scouting For Boys. His son became a Scout and he was appointed a comissioner in the British Scouting program. His greatest contribution to Scouting was The Jungle Book. Baden-Powell asked for permissionto use the Jungle Book' characters and setting as a concept around which to build the Wolf Cubbing program for the younger boys. Cub packs are leds by Akela (den mother). Akela of course is the she wolf that protected Mowgli. American Cubbing relied less heavily on Kipling's Jungle Book.
There have been many different editions of The Jungle Book published around the world illustrated by different illustrators. The original edition contained illustrations, some of ehich were done by Rudyard's father, John Lockwood Kipling.
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