丛林故事.docx

丛林故事.docx

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丛林故事

Mowgli'sBrothers

NowChiltheKitebringshomethenight

ThatMangtheBatsetsfree—

Theherdsareshutinbyreandhut,

Forloosedtilldawnarewe.

Thisisthehourofprideandpower.

Talonandtushandclaw.

Oh,hearthecall!

—Goodhuntingall

ThatkeeptheJungleLaw!

—NightSongintheJungle

Itwasseveno'clockofaverywarmeveningintheSeeoneehillswhenFatherWolfwokeupfromhisday'srest,scratchedhimself,yawned,andspreadouthispawsoneaftertheothertogetridofthesleepyfeelingintheirtips.MotherWolflaywithherbiggreynosedroppedacrossherfourtumbling,squealingcubs,andthemoonshoneintothemouthofthecavewheretheyalllived."Augrh!

"saidFatherWolf,"itistimetohuntagain,"andhewasgoingtospringdownhillwhenalittleshadowwithabushytailcrossedthethresholdandwhined:

"Goodluckgowithyou,OChiefoftheWolves;andgoodluckandstrongwhiteteethgowiththenoblechildren,thattheymayneverforgetthehungryinthisworld."

Itwasthejackal—Tabaqui,theDishlicker—andthewolvesofIndiadespiseTabaquibecauseherunsaboutmakingmischief,andtellingtales,andeatingragsandpiecesofleatherfromthevillagerubbishheaps.Buttheyareafraidofhimtoo,becauseTabaqui,morethananyoneelseintheJungle,isapttogomad,andthenheforgetsthathewaseverafraidofanyone,andrunsthroughtheforestbitingeverythinginhisway.EventhetigerrunsandhideswhenlittleTabaquigoesmad,formadnessisthemostdisgracefulthingthatcanovertakeawildcreature.Wecallithydrophobia,buttheycallitdewanee—themadness—andrun.

"Enter,then,andlook,"saidFatherWolfstiffly;"butthereisnofoodhere."

"Forawolf,no,"saidTabaqui;"butforsomeanapersonasmyselfadryboneisagoodfeast.Whoarewe,theGidurlog（theJackalPeople）,topickandchoose?

"Hescuttledtothebackofthecave,wherehefoundtheboneofabuckwithsomemeatonit,andsatcrackingtheendmerrily.

"Allthanksforthisgoodmeal,"hesaid,lickinghislips."Howbeautifularethenoblechildren!

Howlargearetheireyes!

Andsoyoungtoo!

Indeed,indeed,Imighthaverememberedthatthechildrenofkingsaremenfromthebeginning."

Now,Tabaquiknewaswellasanyoneelsethatthereisnothingsounluckyastocomplimentchildrentotheirfaces,anditpleasedhimtoseeMotherandFatherWolflookuncomfortable.

Tabaquisatstill,rejoicinginthemischiefthathehadmade,thenhesaidspitefully,"ShereKhan,theBigOne,hasshiftedhishuntinggrounds.Hewillhuntamongthesehillsforthenextmoon,sohehastoldme."

ShereKhanwasthetigerwholivedneartheWaingungaRiver,twentymilesaway.

"Hehasnoright!

"FatherWolfbeganangrily."BytheLawoftheJunglehehasnorighttochangehisquarterswithoutduewarning.Hewillfrighteneveryheadofgamewithintenmiles,andI—Ihavetokillfortwo,thesedays."

"HismotherdidnotcallhimLungri（theLameone）fornothing,"saidMotherWolfquietly."Hehasbeenlameinonefootfromhisbirth.Thatiswhyhehasonlykilledcattle.NowthevillagersoftheWaingungaareangrywithhim,andhehascomeheretomakeourvillagersangry.TheywillscourtheJungleforhimwhenheisfaraway,andweandourchildrenmustrunwhenthegrassissetalight.Indeed,weareverygratefultoShereKhan!

"

"ShallItellhimofyourgratitude?

"saidTabaqui.

"Out!

"snappedFatherWolf."Outandhuntwiththymaster.Thouhastdoneharmenoughforonenight."

"Igo,"saidTabaquiquietly."YecanhearShereKhanbelowinthethickets.Imighthavesavedmyselfthemessage."

FatherWolflistened,andbelowinthevalleythatrandowntoalittleriver,heheardthedry,angry,snarly,singsongwhineofatigerwhohascaughtnothinganddoesnotcareifalltheJungleknowsit.

"Thefool!

"saidFatherWolf."Tobeginanight'sworkwiththatnoise!

DoeshethinkthatourbuckarelikehisfatWaingungabullocks?

"

"H'sh!

Itisneitherbullockorbuckhehuntstonight,"saidMotherWolf."Itisman."Thewhinehadchangedtoasortofhummingpurrthatseemedtocomefromeveryquarterofthecompass.Itwasthenoisethatbewilderswoodcuttersandgipsiessleepingintheopen,andmakesthemrunsometimesintotheverymouthofthetiger.

"Man!

"saidFatherWolf,showingallhiswhiteteeth."Faugh!

AretherenotenoughbeetlesandfrogsinthetanksthathemusteatMan,andonourgroundtoo?

"

TheLawoftheJungle,whichneverordersanythingwithoutareason,forbidseverybeasttoeatmanexceptwhenheiskillingtoshowhischildrenhowtokill,andthenhemusthuntoutsidethehuntinggroundsofhispackortribe.Therealreasonforthisisthatmankillingmeans,soonerorlater,thearrivalofwhitemenonelephants,withguns,andhundredsofbrownmenwithgongsandrocketsandtorches.TheneverybodyintheJunglesuffers.ThereasonthebeastsgiveamongthemselvesisthatManistheweakestandmostdefencelessofalllivingthings,anditisunsportsmanliketotouchhim.Theysaytoo—anditistrue—thatmaneatersbecomemangy,andlosetheirteeth.

Thepurrgrewlouder,andendedinthefullthroated,"Aaarh!

"ofthetiger'scharge.

Thentherewasahowl—anuntigerishhowl—fromShereKhan."Hehasmissed,"saidMotherWolf."Whatisit?

"

FatherWolfranoutafewpacesandheardShereKhanmutteringandmumblingsavagelyashetumbledaboutinthescrub.

"Thefoolhashadnomoresensethantojumpatawoodcutter'scampfire,andhasburnedhisfeet,"saidFatherWolf,withagrunt."Tabaquiiswithhim."

Somethingiscominguphill,"saidMotherWolf,twitchingoneear."Getready."

Thebushesrustledalittleinthethicket,andFatherWolfdroppedwithhishaunchesunderhim,readyforhisleap.Then,ifyouhadbeenwatching,youwouldhaveseenthemostwonderfulthingintheworld—thewolfcheckedinmidspring.Hemadehisboundbeforehesawwhatitwashewasjumpingat,andthenhetriedtostophimself.Theresultwasthatheshotupstraightintotheairforfourorfivefeet,landingalmostwhereheleftground.

"Man!

"hesnapped."Aman'scub.Look!

"

Directlyinfrontofhim,holdingonbyalowbranch,stoodanakedbrownbabywhocouldjustwalk—assoftandasdimpledalittleatomasevercametoawolf'scaveatnight.HelookedupintoFatherWolf'sface,andlaughed.

"Isthataman'scub?

"saidMotherWolf."Ihaveneverseenone.Bringithere."

Awolfaccustomedtomovinghisowncubscan,ifnecessary,mouthaneggwithoutbreakingit,andthoughFatherWolf'sjawsclosedrightonthechild'sbacknotatoothevenscratchedtheskin,ashelaiditdownamongthecubs.

"Howlittle!

Hownaked,and—howbold!

"saidMotherWolfsoftly.Thebabywaspushinghiswaybetweenthecubstogetclosetothewarmhide."Ahai!

Heistakinghismealwiththeothers.Andsothisisaman'scub.Now,wasthereeverawolfthatcouldboastofaman'scubamongherchildren?

"

"Ihaveheardnowandagainofsuchathing,butneverisourPackorinmytime,"saidFatherWolf."Heisaltogetherwithouthair,andIcouldkillhimwithatouchofmyfoot.Butsee,helooksupandisnotafraid."

Themoonlightwasblockedoutofthemouthofthecave,forShereKhan'sgreatsquareheadandshoulderswerethrustintotheentrance.Tabaqui,behindhim,wassqueaking."Mylord,mylord,itwentinhere!

"

"ShereKhandoesusgreathonour,"saidFatherWolf,buthiseyeswereveryangry."WhatdoesShereKhanneed?

"

"Myquarry.Aman'scubwentthisway,"saidShereKhan."Itsparentshaverunoff.Giveittome."

ShereKhanhadjumpedatawoodcutter'scampfire,asFatherWolfhadsaid,andwasfuriousfromthepainofhisburnedfeet.ButFatherWolfknewthatthemouthofthecavewastoonarrowforatigertocomeinby.Evenwherehewas,ShereKhan'sshouldersandforepawswerecrampedforwantofroom,asaman'swouldbeifhetriedtofightinabarrel.

"TheWolvesareafreepeople,"saidFatherWolf."TheytakeordersfromtheHeadofthePack,andnotfromanystripedcattlekiller.Theman'scubisours—tokillifwechoose."

"Yechooseandyedonotchoose!

Whattalkisthisofchoosing?

BythebullthatIkilled,amItostandnosingintoyourdog'sdenformyfairdues?

ItisI,ShereKhan,whospeak!

"

Thetiger'sroarfilledthecavewiththunder.MotherWolfshookherselfclearofthecubsandsprangforward,hereyes,liketwogreenmoonsinthedarkness,facingtheblazingeyesofShereKhan.

"AnditisI,Raksha（TheDemon）,whoanswer.Theman'scubismine,Lungri—minetome!

Heshallnotbekilled.HeshalllivetorunwithPackandtohuntwiththePack;andintheend,lookyou,hunteroflittlenakedcubs—frogeater—fishkiller—heshallhuntthee!

Nowgethence,orbythesambhurthatIkilled（Ieatnostarvedcattle）,backthougoesttothymother,burnedbeastoftheJungle,lamerthaneverthoucamestintotheworld!

Go!

"

FatherWolflookedonamazed.HehadalmostforgottenthedayswhenhewonMotherWolfinfairfightfromfiveotherwolves,whensheraninthePackandwasnotcalledTheDemonforcompliment'ssake.ShereKhanmighthavefacedFatherWolf,buthecouldnotstandupagainstMotherWolf,forheknewthatwherehewasshehadalltheadvantageoftheground,andwouldfighttothedeath.Sohebackedoutofthecavemouthgrowling,andwhenhewasclearheshouted,"Eachdogbarksinhisownyard!

WewillseewhatthePackwillsaytothisfosteringofmancubs.Thecubismine,andtomyteethhewillcomeintheend,Obushtailedthieves!

"

MotherWolfthrewherselfdownpantingamongthecubs,andFatherWolfsaidtohergravely,"ShereKhanspeaksthismuchtruth.The