Tammy’s Reviews > The Jungle Book > Status Update

“Thou canst kill everything that thou art strong enough to kill; but for the sake of the bull that bought thee thou must neverkill or eat any cattle young or old.” Mowgli is set apart like Samson and John the Baptist. “And he grew and grew strong as a boy must grow who does not know that he is learning any lessons.” Luke 4:20 “And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom.”

Bagheera showed him things about the man village so that he would not get hurt. Mowgli also watched him hunt when he felt hungry. He warned him never to kill a bull because he was bought with the price of a bull. (Like Adam and Eve not eating animals and God did not permit eating animals until after the Flood). It’s a bit like the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in phrasing.

Mowgli seems to be living in paradise, but remembering the cave it is a false paradise. He cares for his fellow cubs by pulling out thorns. His days are divided between being educated by his father and living the good life with Baloo and Bagheera. He swims in pools (baptism). eats nuts and honey (John the Baptist), and swings through the air like an ape (mastery of nature in a way that wolves cannot).

“Only guess at all the wonderful life that Mowgli led among the wolves, because if it were written out it would fill ever so many books.”

John 21:25 “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”

WE ARE THE WOLVES.

Father Wolf teaches Mowgli to read nature (general revelation).

Shere Khan whines. All leave to feast but Baghera, Baloo, and Akela’s family. They wonder if Mowgli will help them out someday. Akela thinks of the day he can’t hunt and thinks Mowgli might be handy to have around. He is brough in through a sacrifice (Old Testament?) and words (New Testament?). Tenish years later (in the fullness of time), the story will pick up. There is a neat Biblical reference.

Bagheera shows deference in saying he has no right to speak but the promise of a bull causes the wolves to accept his words. He points out that it’s a shame to kill a naked cub and he will make more sport to kill if they chose to after he grows up. The wolves accept him mainly because they think he won’t survive the winter rains or the scorching sun. They are not afraid of a naked frog. Akela tells them to look well.

He seems to be the mirror of Shere Khan. He’s inky black but the marks are spots, not stripes, and are only appear in sunlight. He is a combination of cunning, bold, and reckless and he knows the Law very well. A cub can be affirmed with the price of a bull and it does not matter who pays it. He bows out of the conversation but a fat, newly killed bull must have made the mouths of young wolves water.

Akela follows the Law. Two of the Free People must vouch for a cub who is questioned and it cannot be the parents. The first to speak for Mowgli is Baloo who is not considered a threat because he is not a flesh-eater. He teaches the Law of the Jungle to the cubs and he is well-versed in the protocol. Akela calls for another voice. Bagheera speaks even though he is not one of the Free People.

With each one, he announces, “You know the Law. Look well. Look well.” All are accepted. Now he puts forward Mowgli the Frog who sits laughing playing with pebbles glistening in the moonlight. It is a full moon in the Spring and I just can’t help but wonder if it’s the Passover. LOL Shere Khan whines in the background, claiming ownership of Mowgli in classic evil fairy manner. A young wolf questions his acceptance.

Putting on my fairy tale hat, Mowgli fell in status and he is facing death threats from Shere Khan, who has already tried to kill him once. Wow, that sounds like Harry Potter. Akela had nearly died three times: twice he fell into a wolf trap and another time he had been beaten and left for dead, but it’s not clear who beat him. He had been leading the pack for a year. All mother’s are pushing their cubs forward.