CW Notes-LS:3

Mowgli finds his family

By: J. Rudiyard Kipling

New words:
1. Boulders – a large rock
2. Council - an assembly or meeting where the group of chosen ones make decisions
3. Veterans – experienced ones
4. Tumble – fall suddenly, clumsily or headlong.
5. Buck – male of some horned animals. (deer)
6. Glisten – shining with sparkling light.
7. Monotonous – boring and repetitious voice
8. Twitched - sudden jerking
9. Dispute - disagreement
10. Clamour – loud and confused noise
11. Score - many
12. Befit – appropriate or suitable

Opposites:
1. Accept x reject
2. Young x old
3. Strength x weakness
4. Never x always
5. Dispute x agreement

I. Read the extracts and answer the following:

1. The cubs tumbled over each other in the centre of the circle where their mothers and
fathers sat, and now and again a senior wolf would go quietly up to a cub.

a) Where were the cubs?

The cubs were in the centre of the circle on the Council Rock. It was a hilltop
covered with stones and boulders where a hundred wolves could hide.

b) Why would a senior wolf go quietly up to the cub?

A senior wolf would examine the cubs carefully to see if it could be accepted by the
Pack.

c) How did Mother Wolf react when it was Mowgli’s turn?

When it was Mowgli’s turn to be accepted by the Pack, Mother Wolf’s neck bristles
lifted.

2. ‘Baloo has spoken and he is our teacher for the young cubs.’

a) Who is Baloo? Why was Baloo allowed to speak at the Pack Council?
Baloo is a sleepy brown bear. He was allowed to speak at the Pack Council because
he taught the wolf cubs the Law of the jungle. He would come and go where he
wanted as he ate only roots, nuts and honey.
 b) How did other animals feel about him?
He would come and go where he wanted to and he ate only roots, nuts and honey so
the other animals in the jungle did not see him as a threat to anyone.

II. Answer the following questions:

1. How did Akela become familiar with the ways of men?

Akela became familiar with the ways of men because he had fallen twice into a wolf
trap in his youth, and once he had been beaten and left for dead.

2. Describe Bhagheera. How was he treated by the wolves?

Bhageera was the Black Panther. He was inky black all over but had panther
markings showing up in certain lights like a pattern of watery silk. He had skin that had
softer than dawn and his voice was as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree. None of
the wolves dared to cross his path because he was as cunning as Tabaqui, as bold as
the wild buffalo and as reckless as the wounded elephant.

3. What did Bhagheera offer the wolves as a price for accepting Mowgli in the Pack?
Bhagheera the panther offered the wolves a fat bull, newly killed, not half a mile from
where they were.

4. Why did Sher Khan continue to roar?

Sher Khan continued to roar because he was angry that Mowgli had not been
handed over to him.

5. Does the leader of the pack remain in that position forever? What happens to him?
The leader of the pack does not remain in that position for ever. When he becomes
older and grows feeble, he is killed by the wolves and a new leader comes up to lead
the pack.

6. Why did the animals keep calling themselves the ‘Free People’?
The animals kept calling themselves the Free people because they were not
controlled by anyone. They were free to go where they pleased and where they
wanted. They were not subject to any captivity. Once the cubs were accepted by the
pack, they were trained by Baloo to follow the Law of the Jungle and they were allowed
to lead their own lives.