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Los Hermanos de Mowgli
En el corazon de la selva hindu vive un tigre cruel y cobarde, SHERE KHAN (el tigre). Una tarde, buscando una presa facil, nota la presencia de unos lenadores reunidos alrededor de un fuego. Avanza lentamente, sin hacer ningun ruido, pero calcula mal su impulso y cae sobre las llamas. Lanza tal rugido de dolor que retumba en toda la selva; los lenadores asustados huyen, abandonando a un nino pequeno. Cerca de su caverna, Papa Lobo escucha un ruido. Intenta ver que es lo que sucede, y descubre al hombrecito mas bonito que jamas haya llegado a la caverna de un lobo. Papa Lobo lo agarra delicada-mente con sus mandibulas y lo lleva a su cubil para mostrarselo a RAKSHA, la Mama Loba. El nino, sin mostrar nada de miedo, se pone a jugar con los lobeznos, despues, fatigado, se acurruca para dormir en el tibio regazo de Raksha. Los lobos deciden adoptarlo y le dan el nombre de MOWGLI. Pero TABAQUI (el chacal) ha visto a Mowgli en el cubil. Acude ante Shere Khan, todavia dolorido por sus quemaduras, lo conduce hasta alli, donde reclama a su presa con rabia. La terrible Raksha se prepara a luchar y a morir incluso antes que abandonar a su hombrecito. Ante tanta energia y coraje, Shere Kan se asusta y huye jurando vengarse. Mowgli crece entre los lobos. Una noche de luna llena, es conducido a la Roca del Consejo para ser presentado, junto con los demas lobeznos, ante los lobos y su jefe AKELA. BALOO (el oso), habla en su defensa, y BAGHEERA (la pantera) ofrece un toro a cambio de la vida de Mowgli. Y es asi como Mowgli es admitido a cazar con la manada. Sin embargo, a medida que crece (y que sus amigos como Akela (el jefe de la manada de lobos) se vuelven mas viejos) las diferencias entre Mowgli y los lobos se hacen mas evidentes. Es aqui cuando, el poder de Shere Khan se hace mas fuerte. Mowgli es asi expulsado de la manada, y se va a vivir a un pueblo cercano. Rudyard Kipling, narrador y poeta ingles, controvertido por sus ideas imperialistas y uno de los mas grandes cuentistas de la lengua inglesa. Pertenecia a una familia de origen ingles y paso en la India los primeros tiempos de su infancia. A los seis anos fue enviado a Inglaterra, donde estudio en el United Services College de Westward Ho, en Devonshire, ambiente que luego describio en la novela Stalky C. Vuelto en 1882 a la India, se dedico al periodismo en calidad de subdirector de The Lahore Civil and Military Gazette y, despues, entre 1887 y 1889, de The Pioneer. A los veintiun anos publico su primer libro, Departmental Ditties (1866), coleccion de versos de circunstancias, y a los veintidos el primer volumen de narraciones, Cuentos simples de las colinas (1887), al que siguieron, en 1888-89, otros seis: Tres soldados, Bajo los cedros deodaras, El rickshaw fantasma, La historia de los Gadsby, En blanco y negro y El pequeno Guillermo Winkie."
Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
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About the author
Rudyard Kipling
7,163 books3,672 followersJoseph Rudyard Kipling was a journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist.
Kipling's works of fiction include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901), and many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King (1888). His poems include Mandalay (1890), Gunga Din (1890), The Gods of the Copybook Headings (1919), The White Man's Burden (1899), and If— (1910). He is regarded as a major innovator in the art of the short story; his children's books are classics of children's literature; and one critic described his work as exhibiting "a versatile and luminous narrative gift".
Kipling was one of the most popular writers in the United Kingdom, in both prose and verse, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Henry James said: "Kipling strikes me personally as the most complete man of genius (as distinct from fine intelligence) that I have ever known." In 1907, at the age of 41, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first English-language writer to receive the prize, and its youngest recipient to date. He was also sounded out for the British Poet Laureateship and on several occasions for a knighthood, both of which he declined.
Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907 "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author."
Kipling kept writing until the early 1930s, but at a slower pace and with much less success than before. On the night of 12 January 1936, Kipling suffered a haemorrhage in his small intestine. He underwent surgery, but died less than a week later on 18 January 1936 at the age of 70 of a perforated duodenal ulcer. Kipling's death had in fact previously been incorrectly announced in a magazine, to which he wrote, "I've just read that I am dead. Don't forget to delete me from your list of subscribers."
Kipling's works of fiction include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901), and many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King (1888). His poems include Mandalay (1890), Gunga Din (1890), The Gods of the Copybook Headings (1919), The White Man's Burden (1899), and If— (1910). He is regarded as a major innovator in the art of the short story; his children's books are classics of children's literature; and one critic described his work as exhibiting "a versatile and luminous narrative gift".
Kipling was one of the most popular writers in the United Kingdom, in both prose and verse, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Henry James said: "Kipling strikes me personally as the most complete man of genius (as distinct from fine intelligence) that I have ever known." In 1907, at the age of 41, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first English-language writer to receive the prize, and its youngest recipient to date. He was also sounded out for the British Poet Laureateship and on several occasions for a knighthood, both of which he declined.
Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907 "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author."
Kipling kept writing until the early 1930s, but at a slower pace and with much less success than before. On the night of 12 January 1936, Kipling suffered a haemorrhage in his small intestine. He underwent surgery, but died less than a week later on 18 January 1936 at the age of 70 of a perforated duodenal ulcer. Kipling's death had in fact previously been incorrectly announced in a magazine, to which he wrote, "I've just read that I am dead. Don't forget to delete me from your list of subscribers."
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 1, 2025
Thanks to my sister I came upon this book and chose to see what it was about.
Mowgli's Brothers is an excerpt from Rudyard Kipling's original Jungle Book that covers the man-child's arrival to the Pack and up until his eviction upon Akela's failure as leader.
The book also includes two of the songs that can be found in the original to start the book and to end it - The Night-Song In the Jungle and The Hunting-Song of the Seeonee Pack.
What makes this version stand out, though, are the woodcut yet very realistic illustrations and with additional small details to break-up the more text-heavy pages. Furthermore, there is a main character key of small silhouette characters that appear at the bottom of each page so that way the reader knows who the predominant players are on each page.
In the end, this book makes for a quick read if you want a bite of a Classic without the whole and a nice starter for children into these timeless tales.
Mowgli's Brothers is an excerpt from Rudyard Kipling's original Jungle Book that covers the man-child's arrival to the Pack and up until his eviction upon Akela's failure as leader.
The book also includes two of the songs that can be found in the original to start the book and to end it - The Night-Song In the Jungle and The Hunting-Song of the Seeonee Pack.
What makes this version stand out, though, are the woodcut yet very realistic illustrations and with additional small details to break-up the more text-heavy pages. Furthermore, there is a main character key of small silhouette characters that appear at the bottom of each page so that way the reader knows who the predominant players are on each page.
In the end, this book makes for a quick read if you want a bite of a Classic without the whole and a nice starter for children into these timeless tales.
July 12, 2025
Mowgli’s Brothers by Rudyard Kipling
Shere Khan as a positive character
There are various ways to look at animals. In fear, in awe, with suspicion, interest or just as things that need to disappear, before we take all we can and use for food, remedies or whatever.
The approach of Kipling is an interesting, if ancient one. Ever since man climbed down from the trees and started to talk, he has attributed various magical powers, communication abilities to animals.
Some animals have been worshipped. As the alpha male in my pack, I have some control over a pack of borzois, a couple of Macaws and none at all in what concerns Ndugu the Burmese cat.
Animals communicate. That is a fact.
It is also clear that Kipling had a wonderful and wild imagination.
Mowgli is the man cub, that has fascinated most of us as the hero of the Jungle Book, and here in the short story that I am not sure what role has played.
Was it the first sketch of the Jungle Book?
Is included as I see on the net, in the larger story?
I had included in Essential Kipling, together with other short stories and some poems.
It would be interesting to know how Kipling arrived at his organization of animals.
Take Shere Khan, the tiger. Why is he the villain? It probably has to do with the fact that the mentality was different then, when tigers were shot in their thousands. What am I saying, even if there are few left, in the rural places where they still exist, they are still seen as nothing more than a pest to be eradicated.
But the wolves? Why are they the good guys? After all, their image was also terrible, if for the wrong reasons- the idea that man is the definitive ruler and all else needs to disappear to make room for him, albeit that will end up affecting this very “ruler of the planet”.
Wolves have been exterminated in the USA, and even today, where they have returned, the farmers are very keen on destroying them.
On the other hand, Romulus and Remus have been fed by the famous wolf, whose statue adorns squares in Italy and in my country.
The idea of the law of the jungle is also original in The Jungle Book. We generally mean by the law of the jungle a place where the bigger eats the smaller, but Kipling has another version, which seems to use some human principles or virtues to explain some attitudes of animals.
Akela is the alpha wolf and at one point, there is to be a final fight, whereby he points out that it will have to be one by one.
Anyone who has seen dogs fight, or wolves for that matter is aware that they tend to all join in and it is a “wild” kerfuffle and not an organized affair.
This is not to criticize what is meant to be fiction. I am saying Kipling needed to be a kind of ancient Attenborough, watching the animals and then writing his natural life notes.
As an animal lover I am just wondering how The Jungle Book worked out in the mind of Kipling, in the knowledge that the Animal World is a bewildering, fabulous realm, where interaction is complex and fascinating.
I have a couple of splendid macaws who try to communicate with the rest of the flock: with each other, with their human companions: Puccini says hello and Hannah, Balzac says papa and salut, oui and some other words. Puccini is still a baby and we’ll have to wait and see what else comes up.
But when they try to interact with the borzois, it doesn’t work, even if the imperial dogs are keen on interacting with the cat. The macaws try to approach the borzois, but it never comes to anything else except the small, occasional pulling of a few hairs.
Why don’t they do like in The Jungle Book and talk issues with each other?
The borzois have ostracized the macaw, and if I were not always present (or my spouse, or daughter) the borzois might end up hurting a too insistent macaw.
In other words- we have the Jungle Book performance, everyday, at our house.
Shere Khan as a positive character
There are various ways to look at animals. In fear, in awe, with suspicion, interest or just as things that need to disappear, before we take all we can and use for food, remedies or whatever.
The approach of Kipling is an interesting, if ancient one. Ever since man climbed down from the trees and started to talk, he has attributed various magical powers, communication abilities to animals.
Some animals have been worshipped. As the alpha male in my pack, I have some control over a pack of borzois, a couple of Macaws and none at all in what concerns Ndugu the Burmese cat.
Animals communicate. That is a fact.
It is also clear that Kipling had a wonderful and wild imagination.
Mowgli is the man cub, that has fascinated most of us as the hero of the Jungle Book, and here in the short story that I am not sure what role has played.
Was it the first sketch of the Jungle Book?
Is included as I see on the net, in the larger story?
I had included in Essential Kipling, together with other short stories and some poems.
It would be interesting to know how Kipling arrived at his organization of animals.
Take Shere Khan, the tiger. Why is he the villain? It probably has to do with the fact that the mentality was different then, when tigers were shot in their thousands. What am I saying, even if there are few left, in the rural places where they still exist, they are still seen as nothing more than a pest to be eradicated.
But the wolves? Why are they the good guys? After all, their image was also terrible, if for the wrong reasons- the idea that man is the definitive ruler and all else needs to disappear to make room for him, albeit that will end up affecting this very “ruler of the planet”.
Wolves have been exterminated in the USA, and even today, where they have returned, the farmers are very keen on destroying them.
On the other hand, Romulus and Remus have been fed by the famous wolf, whose statue adorns squares in Italy and in my country.
The idea of the law of the jungle is also original in The Jungle Book. We generally mean by the law of the jungle a place where the bigger eats the smaller, but Kipling has another version, which seems to use some human principles or virtues to explain some attitudes of animals.
Akela is the alpha wolf and at one point, there is to be a final fight, whereby he points out that it will have to be one by one.
Anyone who has seen dogs fight, or wolves for that matter is aware that they tend to all join in and it is a “wild” kerfuffle and not an organized affair.
This is not to criticize what is meant to be fiction. I am saying Kipling needed to be a kind of ancient Attenborough, watching the animals and then writing his natural life notes.
As an animal lover I am just wondering how The Jungle Book worked out in the mind of Kipling, in the knowledge that the Animal World is a bewildering, fabulous realm, where interaction is complex and fascinating.
I have a couple of splendid macaws who try to communicate with the rest of the flock: with each other, with their human companions: Puccini says hello and Hannah, Balzac says papa and salut, oui and some other words. Puccini is still a baby and we’ll have to wait and see what else comes up.
But when they try to interact with the borzois, it doesn’t work, even if the imperial dogs are keen on interacting with the cat. The macaws try to approach the borzois, but it never comes to anything else except the small, occasional pulling of a few hairs.
Why don’t they do like in The Jungle Book and talk issues with each other?
The borzois have ostracized the macaw, and if I were not always present (or my spouse, or daughter) the borzois might end up hurting a too insistent macaw.
In other words- we have the Jungle Book performance, everyday, at our house.
August 25, 2021
La primera impresión con la que me quedé luego de terminar este libro fue la gratificante sensación de conocer la verdadera historia.
Son tres historias de muy fácil lectura y que sorprenden en sus discrepancias con la película que todos conocemos de Disney. Cada personaje que aparece en la historia tiene un papel y una personalidad muy distinta a la que les solemos asociar. Incluso los orígenes o las motivaciones de estos son distintas. Por no mencionar los cambios a la historia que hizo la película.
La determinación y la crueldad que demuestra Mowgli en más de una ocasión son lo que más me impactó. Ese contraste con el tierno recuerdo hace que sea más interesante de leer.
Sinceramente es una lectura que recomiendo más que nada a aquellos de mi generación que crecieron viendo El libro de la selva una y otra vez. Leerlo con ese trasfondo lo hace una experiencia completamente distinta.
Son tres historias de muy fácil lectura y que sorprenden en sus discrepancias con la película que todos conocemos de Disney. Cada personaje que aparece en la historia tiene un papel y una personalidad muy distinta a la que les solemos asociar. Incluso los orígenes o las motivaciones de estos son distintas. Por no mencionar los cambios a la historia que hizo la película.
La determinación y la crueldad que demuestra Mowgli en más de una ocasión son lo que más me impactó. Ese contraste con el tierno recuerdo hace que sea más interesante de leer.
Sinceramente es una lectura que recomiendo más que nada a aquellos de mi generación que crecieron viendo El libro de la selva una y otra vez. Leerlo con ese trasfondo lo hace una experiencia completamente distinta.
December 27, 2018
I read the adventures of Mowgli years ago as a child and enjoyed them again as an adult. He is adopted by the wolves befriended by Baloo the bear and Bagheera the Black Panther. When the monkeys kidnap Mowgli they rescue him with the help of Kaa the Rock Python. That is just one of Mowgli's adventures in the jungles of India.
July 14, 2019
Hermosamente narrado te hacer ser parte de la selva y las aventuras de Mowgli, con un alto respeto a los ciclos de naturaleza; nacer, crecer, cazar y morir. Y te enseña que eventualmente a todos nos llega la adultez y debemos dejar la niñez para ser parte de la sociedad y sus responsabilidades pero que siempre debemos mantener nuestra conexión con nuestra infancia.
December 24, 2025
Hi! I’ve been enjoying your story a lot your scenes are easy to imagine and very expressive. It honestly made me think about how cool it’d look in a comic format.
I’m a commission-based artist, so if that’s ever something you’d want to discuss, I’d be happy to chat.
📩 Discord & Instagram: lizziedoesitall
I’m a commission-based artist, so if that’s ever something you’d want to discuss, I’d be happy to chat.
📩 Discord & Instagram: lizziedoesitall
December 26, 2022
Senza infamia e senza lode, in questo racconto troviamo un Mowgli diverso, visto attraverso gli occhi di qualcun altro come mai era successo prima di allora. Niente a che vedere, però, con l’atmosfera dei Jungle Book quindi per me perde un bel po’.
July 6, 2023
يوضح قدرة الإنسان على التكيف مع البيئة والحيوانات🐺🦍
January 6, 2024
The first short story written by Kipling about Mowgli, which would later be collected together to create "The Jungle Book".
October 22, 2025
"Ye have told me so often tonight that I am a man (and indeed I would have been a wolf with you to my life’s end) that I feel your words are true."
September 16, 2023
I read this as a chapter within the "Gateway to the Great Books". I was aware of the Jungle Book and had seen the movie before reading this, but I had never approached the source material. I'm not sure I would want to read the entire Jungle Book but as a short, one-off story, I found this to be enjoyable.
Grade: B+
Recommended for: People who enjoy this type of fiction targeted towards younger people.
Grade: B+
Recommended for: People who enjoy this type of fiction targeted towards younger people.
April 19, 2016
I didn't actually read this version, I read just this story in a complete The Jungle Books, but I didn't want to take credit for reading the whole book. I'm preparing for tonight's viewing of the new Jungle Book movie.
The first story deals mainly with Mowgli's being found, being saved, learning from the wolves, the panther, and the bear, and being a mortal enemy of the tiger. At the end he awes all the animals with fire and returns to mankind. I can imagine it could be fun to read this story to a child if you like to do voices. It didn't captivate me enough to want to keep reading additional stories, but I can see why it's a classic.
The first story deals mainly with Mowgli's being found, being saved, learning from the wolves, the panther, and the bear, and being a mortal enemy of the tiger. At the end he awes all the animals with fire and returns to mankind. I can imagine it could be fun to read this story to a child if you like to do voices. It didn't captivate me enough to want to keep reading additional stories, but I can see why it's a classic.
May 21, 2010
This is the first story in "The Jungle Book". It has nice illustrations.
The story is a little like Disney's "Jungle Book" without the singing and dancing. Basically Mowgli is raised by wolves, Shere Khan wants to kill him, and he protects himself with the red flower--fire. It ends with him returning to the world of man (although unlike the Disney version, he is not lured there by a cute girl.)
The story is a little like Disney's "Jungle Book" without the singing and dancing. Basically Mowgli is raised by wolves, Shere Khan wants to kill him, and he protects himself with the red flower--fire. It ends with him returning to the world of man (although unlike the Disney version, he is not lured there by a cute girl.)
January 21, 2021
This is a review of the introductory story from the Jungle Book and not this particular edition.
Mowgli's Brothers is an enjoyable read that perfectly sets up stories to come. It is my third favorite story, after Rikki Tikki Tavi and Kaa's Hunting.
Mowgli's Brothers is an enjoyable read that perfectly sets up stories to come. It is my third favorite story, after Rikki Tikki Tavi and Kaa's Hunting.
August 7, 2011
Do you think that the nearer to creation we live, the purer and simpler our choices? Reading this made me wonder.
October 31, 2016
Timeless. It's been decades since I last read, but it seems like it was only yesterday. Still relevant at 66.
August 5, 2024
The descriptions of the world that Kipling built are captivating. I would study this work many times over.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews