pest thou still, Shere Khan? Wake, O wake! Here come I,
and the bulls are behind.
Rama the king of the buffaloes stamped with his foot.
Waters of the Waingunga whither went Shere Khan?
He is not Sahi to dig holes, nor Mor, the Peacock, that he
should fly. He is not Mang, the Bat, to hang in the branches.
Little bamboos that creak together tell me where he ran?
_Ow!_ he is there. _Ahoo!_ he is there. Under the feet of Rama lies
the Lame One! Up, Shere Khan! Up and kill! Here is meat; break the
necks of the bulls.
Hsh! he is asleep. We will not wake him, for his strength is very
great. The kites have come down to see it. The black ants have
come up to know it. There is a great assembly in his honour.
_Alala!_ I have no cloth to wrap me. The kites will see that I am
naked. I am ashamed to meet all these people.
Lend me thy coat, Shere Khan. Lend me thy gay striped coat that
I may go to the Council Rock.
By the Bull that bought me I made a promise--a little promise.
Only thy coat is lacking before I keep my word.
With the knife, with the knife that men use, with the knife
of the hunter, I will stoop down for my gift.
Waters of the Waingunga, Shere Khan gives me his coat for the love
that he bears me. Pull, Gray Brother!
Pull, Akela! Heavy is the hide of Shere Khan.
The Man Pack are angry. They throw stones and talk child's talk.
My mouth is bleeding. Let me run away.
Through the night, through the hot night, run swiftly with me, my
brothers. We will leave the lights of the village and go to the
low moon.
Waters of the Waingunga, the Man Pack have cast me out. I did them
no harm, but they were afraid of me. Why?
Wolf Pack, ye have cast me out too. The Jungle is shut to me and the
village gates are shut. Why?
As Mang flies between the beasts and birds so fly I between the
village and the Jungle. Why?
I dance on the hide of Shere Khan, but my heart is very heavy. My
mouth is cut and wounded with the stones from the village, but
my heart is very light, because I have come back to the Jungle.
Why?
These two things fight together in me as the snakes fight in the
spring. The water comes out of my eyes; yet I laugh while it
falls. Why?
I am two Mowglis, but the hide of Shere Khan is under my feet.
All the Jungle knows that I have killed Shere Khan. Look, look
well, O Wolves!
Ahae! my heart is heavy with the things that I do not understand.