A Mowgli Poem

This is a poem taken from "The Scouter" in 1931.

Mowgli was a little boy who wandered from his home,

And out into the jungle dark he venutred forth alone;

When night came on he'd lost his way, he felt so tired, and then

He found a cave to shelter in, but 'twas an old wolf's den.

Old Father Wolf at first was really in an awful mood,

And seemed to think poor Mowgli was a dainty bit of food;

But Mother Wolf protested that the child - must not be slain,

So Mowgli, with the little cubs, was comfortably lain.

Now old Shere Khan, the tiger, had a special taste for man,

So on young Mowgli's trail he got, and to the cave he ran.

He stuck his head inside, and roared in accents fierce and wild;

"You've got my breakfast in your den, so just give me the child."

Politely then did Father Wolf endeavour to explain,

But Shere Khan wouldn't hear, and simply shouted out again;

"The thing's a man, he's not a wolf, he's got no business here,"

And Mister Wolf began to think he'd best not interfere.

But then the gentle Mother Wolf gave all a great surprise,

For up she sprang, with bristling fur, and anger in her eyes.

"Since when," she howled, "have wolves supplied a tiger's hungry maw"

Hunt for yourself, and do not try to break the jungle law."

Then old Shere Khan, the tiger, disappointed of his prey,

Withdrew his head from out the den and, growling, turned away,

Determined that by hook or crook, revenge one day he'd know,

And that the man-child, Mowgli, should into his tummy go.

But Mowgli in the cave remained, with wolf cubs as his kin.

And learnt the ways of wolves, his place within the pack to win.

Bagheera and Baloo, the bear, his tutors were - and so

The time arrived when Mowgli to the Council Rock should go.

Within the jungle stood the Rock, flat-topped and bare and cold,

And round it squatted all the pack of wolves, both young and old.

Akela lay beside the Rock, and wolf cubs one by one

Presented were unto the pack, for so the law did run.

Our cub pack meetings resume again on January 11th when we will have more fun and adventure lined up for all our cubs.

Join us then...

Akela Joy