peepul-tree
in the evening that had put the idea into his head.

"It WAS a Master-word," Bagheera whispered in his ear. "They were
feeding by the river, and they obeyed as though they were bullocks. Look
where they come now!"

Hathi and his three sons had arrived, in their usual way, without a
sound. The mud of the river was still fresh on their flanks, and Hathi
was thoughtfully chewing the green stem of a young plantain-tree that he
had gouged up with his tusks. But every line in his vast body showed to
Bagheera, who could see things when he came across them, that it was not
the Master of the Jungle speaking to a Man-cub, but one who was afraid
coming before one who was not. His three sons rolled side by side,
behind their father.

Mowgli hardly lifted his head as Hathi gave him "Good hunting." He kept
him swinging and rocking, and shifting from one foot to another, for
a long time before he spoke; and when he opened his mouth it was to
Bagheera, not to the elephants.

"I will tell a tale that was told to me by the hunter ye hunted to-day,"
said Mowgli. "It concerns an elephant, old and wise, who fell into a
trap, and the sharpened stake in the pit scarred him from a little above
his heel to the crest of his shoulder, leaving a white mark." Mowgli
threw out his hand, and as Hathi wheeled the moonlight showed a long
white scar on his slaty side, as though he had been struck with a
red-hot whip. "Men came to take him from the trap," Mowgli continued,
"but he broke his ropes, for he was strong, and went away till his
wound was healed. Then came he, angry, by night to the fields of
those hunters. And I remember now that he had three sons. These things
happened many, many Rains ago, and very far away--among the fields of
Bhurtpore. What came to those fields at the next reaping, Hathi?"

"They were reaped by me and by my three sons," said Hathi.

"And to the ploughing that follows the reaping?" said Mowgli.

"There was no ploughing," said Hathi.

"And to the men that live by the green crops on the ground?" said
Mowgli.

"They went away."

"And to the huts in which the men slept?" said Mowgli.

"We tore the roofs to pieces, and the Jungle swallowed up the walls,"
said Hathi.

"And what more?" said Mowgli.

"As much good ground as I can walk over in two nights from the east to
the west, and from the north to the south as much as I can walk over in
three nights, the Jungle took. We let in the Jungle upon five