1.
AKELA / RAKSHA / TABAQUI
AKELA
Hear me, oh wolves! Hear Akela, leader of the pack! Shere Khan roars like
the wind, but together we are safe!
PACK
Together!
AKELA
Together we are strong!
BAGHEERA
Hsshs, Akela, it is neither bullock not buck he hunts tonight – it is man!
Raksha has stolen this child from Shere Khan’s mouth!
AKELA
A man cub? I have never seen one. Bring it here.
RAKSHA
I could not let him kill one so small and helpless.
AKELA
He has no hair! Ha, except on his head! And I could kill him with a touch
of my foot. (the baby laughs) Listen! That is a roar like no other.
RAKSHA
And his eyes, see how they sparkle like drops of water in the sun.
AKELA
He looks right at me, and is not afraid! I have never seen a cub so brave.
RAKSHA
So we may keep him?
AKELA
You know the Law. The Pack must decide.
TABAQUI
Good Luck to you Akela, great Chief of the Seeonee Wolves, and good
luck and strong white teeth to all your children. What a strange scent
there is in the air tonight. Do you have it? You must have it.
AKELA
Be gone, Tabaqui – there is no food here.
TABAQUI
My master Shere Khan has shifted his hunting grounds.
RAKSHA
The villagers will hunt your master, and we must run when the grass is
set alight! Indeed we are grateful to Shere Khan!
TABAQUI
Shall I tell him of your gratitude?
RAKSHA
Get away from me, dish-licker!
TABAQUI
You try to hide it but you’re afraid of Tabaqui the Jackal … You all are, for
you know he is apt to go mad … and then Tabaqui runs through the forest
biting everything in his way … There he is! There! You stole him from my
master will have him back!
AKELA
He will not have him!
TABAQUI
My master has promised me an ankle bone. Give him to me … Now!
AKELA
Never! From this moment I am his father!
RAKSHA
And I his mother!
TABAQUI
You know the Law – if he is to join the Pack, three must speak for the cub
who are not of his blood.
AKELA
He speaks the truth.
TABAQUI
Who of the Pack will speak for him? Who will speak?
You see, you must give him to me.
AKELA
Be gone, jackal, or I will have your bones!
TABAQUI
One day you will miss your kill, Akela, and then you will be leader no
more …
I go, I go – but when I come back, I won’t be alone!
2.
BALOO / MOWGLI
BALOO
Come back here! I said, come here!
MOWGLI
Why should I?
BALOO
This minute, Mowgli, I mean it.
MOWGLI
No beast goes willingly to his own death. It is the Law.
BALOO
Don’t get clever with me! When I get my hands on you!
MOWGLI
I know how hard you hit, Baloo – that’s why I have learned to run like the
wind.
BALOO
Very well, little brother, peace, peace.
MOWGLI
Peace
BALOO
Just as long as you pay a little more attention.
MOWGLI
I’m paying as little as possible.
BALOO
Mowgli!
MOWGLI
Well, you’ve taught me all I need to know … I know every rustle in the
grass, every breath of the warm night air, every master-word to call on
bird and beast …
BALOO
He used to be big-headed – now he’s perfect!
MOWGLI
I love the Jungle! I sit out in the sun and sleep, and then I eat, and then I
sleep again. When I’m dirty or hot, I go for a swim and when I want
honey, I climb a tree. I like nothing more than to sleep all through the
day, and at night watch Bagheera make his kill.
BALOO
You’re a lazy little beast! Come here! If you don’t learn your lessons… If
you don’t learn …
MOWGLI
What is it, Baloo?
BALOO
My back, it itches, oh how it itches! Quickly, scratch it, scratch it!
MOWGLI
It’s a trap to catch me.
BALOO
No … Quickly!
MOWGLI
Give me your word.
BALOO
You have it … Hurry!
MOWGLI
Very well, old brother
BALOO
Up, up, up a bit … Across, across, down a bit, down … That’s it, that’s it!
Don’t stop! You can’t stop!
MOWGLI
There’s one condition
BALOO
Anything, anything!
MOWGLI
No lessons today
BALOO
Yes, yes, anything!
MOWGLI
Or tomorrow
BALOO
You little … yes, yes, I agree
MOWGLI
Is that better?
BALOO
You have your uses, little frog.
3.
BAGHEERA / MOWGLI
MOWGLI
Why do the young wolves hate me? I obey the Law, I’ve pulled a thorn
from the paw of every wolf in the Pack. Surely they are my brothers.
BAGHEERA
Little brother, feel here, under my jaw
MOWGLI
What is it?
BAGHEERA
The mark of the collar. I was born among men, and my mother died in the
cages of the King’s Palace at Oodeypore. They fed me behind bars from
an iron pan until one night I felt I was Bagheera the Panther and no man’s
plaything – and I broke the silly lock with one blow of my paw, and came
away. You are a man cub, and even as I returned to my Jungle, so must
one day you go back to men, if you are not killed first by wolf or tiger.
MOWGLI
But why should they wish to kill me?
BAGHEERA
They hate you because their eyes cannot meet yours, because you are
wise, because you can pull thorns from their feet – because you are a
man.
MOWGLI
I did not know these things
BAGHEERA
You must go back to the world of man
MOWGLI
No! I will live in my own world
BAGHEERA
And what world will that be?
MOWGLI
A better world! A world where I have a tribe of my own, and lead them
through the branches all day long!
BAGHEERA
Have you been talking to the Bandar-Log – the Monkey People?
MOWGLI
When Baloo last hurt my head, I went away and the monkeys came down
from the trees and took pity on me … No one else cared …
BAGHEERA
They have no pity, and they have no Law!
MOWGLI
But they gave me nuts and good things to eat. They carried me in their
arms to the tops of the trees, and said I was their blood brother, except
that I had no tail, and one day, I will be their leader.
BAGHEERA
They have no leader. They lie as they have always lied. Their way is not
our way.
MOWGLI
But they’re fun, they’re fun!
BAGHEERA
This is no laughing matter.
4.
BAN / LUNA / TAAK / MOWGLI
BAN
Behold, King Mowgli, behold the Great Palace of the Bandar-Log!
LUNA
It’s great because we are great!
TAAK
The greatest in all the Jungle!
MONKEYS
We all say so and so it must be true!
BAN
Come and play, come and play!
MOWGLI
I don’t want to play!
LUNA
Everyone wants to play! Watch!
They play together, tripping and tricking each other
BAN
There now, that was fun, wasn’t it?
MOWGLI
It was … The greatest fun … But you’ve done nothing but play all day …
TAAK
He doesn’t want to play
BAN
We’re not good enough for him!
MOWGLI
It’s not that …
LUNA
He’s no fun!
TAAK
Leave him then, since he’s no fun!
MOWGLI
Don’t … Please don’t …
BAN
That’s all he deserves. Leave him, leave him all on his own!
MOWGLI
Don’t leave me … please don’t … I thought I was supposed to be king …
Gone! I don’t like it here… And I hate to be alone … then the fear comes,
the fear that haunts me … The fear of Shere Khan. Ban, Luna, Taak …
Come back … I’ve never been in this part of the Jungle … I’m hungry and
thirsty … please come back…
TAAK
Tch-tch-tch. You didn’t think we’d really leave you, did you?
MOWGLI
No … yes … I don’t know …
LUNA
We were only playing. You’re one of us now – King Mowgli of the BandarLog
BAN
That’s right, we’re your friends and servants. We’d never hurt you.
TAAK
Did you say you were hungry, Great Majesty?
MOWGLI
Oh yes, I am, I’m starving
LUNA
How thoughtless of us. Here you are, then. I’ve brought you fruit …
MOWGLI
Oh thank you, thank you
Mowgli gets a handful of fruit in the face
That’s not funny!
TAAK
Oh but it is, it is!
LUNA
It’s the funniest thing we’d ever seen!
MOWGLI
I – said – that’s – not – funny!
BAN
Ooh, he’s angry now, he’s sooo angry …
MOWGLI
I’m warning you! Right, you asked for it! Come here! I’ll knock your
heads off! I will, I’ll kick your … Can’t you ever be serious? You’ll drive
me mad … You can’t just always have fun.
TAAK
Who says?
MOWGLI
I don’t know … Yes, I do. I do! I say it! You must have some rules.
MONKEYS
Rules!!!
MOWGLI
Don’t you have any Law?
MONKEYS
Law??
MOWGLI
Yes, Law!
MONKEYS
Nonononononononononononononononono …
5:1
KAA / BALOO / BAGHEERA
KAA
Perhaps I can be of some ass–hissss-tance
BAGHEERA
Kaa! Of course! The monkeys fear only Kaa, the great rock-snake.
KAA
And ssso they should. I can climb as well as they can. I ssteal their young
in the night. What’s that delicious smell?
BALOO
Help us, Help us save Mowgli
KAA
Have a care, bear! I have not eaten for a week and I’m sstarving!
BAGHEERA
Then hunt with us. We go to hunt the Bandar-Log
KAA
A fresh, young monkey – I can taste it now! Lead the way, Panther … But
what is that lovely sssmell?
BALOO
Never mind, we have to hurry … But I forgot, stupid, stupid bear that I am
– we don’t know where they’ve taken him!
KAA
I’m warning you, bear – don’t tell me about food and then not give me
any …
BALOO
We can’t lose him … He’s the best pupil I ever had and I – we – love him
KAA
Ah yes, love … Poor old Baloo … I too have known love … Under a bright
shining moon … Ah yes, the tales I could tell …
BAGHEERA
Look out, Baloo!
BALOO
Get away from me, you sly, slithering serpent!
KAA
But I must eat, I mussst!
5:2
KAA / MOWGLI / MONKEYS
KAA
So this is the man cub … very soft is his skin … Not so unlike the Monkeys
… Have a care I do not mistake you for a monkey some twilight when I
have newly-changed skin.
MOWGLI
I take my life from you this day. If I may ever help you, I will, oh Kaa.
KAA
And how may you help me?
MOWGLI
I have some skills with these hands … if you are ever in a trap I may pay
the debt I owe to you, to Bagheera, and to Baloo. Good hunting to you
all, my masters.
KAA
A brave heart and a polite tongue will carry you far in the Jungle. But I
have a great hunger, and what follows it is best you do not see. Hear me,
Bandar-Log! Now begins the dance of the hunger of Kaa. Bandar-Log –
can you move hand or foot without my order? Speak!
MONKEYS
Without your order we cannot move hand or foot, oh Kaa.
KAA
Oh that is good! Take one pace closer to me. Good. Very good. This way
… come follow, follow me … I have business with you … I am everything
you fear and I have business with you …
6.
BULDEO / MESSUA / MOWGLI
WOMAN
He sounds more like an animal than a man …
BULDEO
Look at his hair! It would make a fine coat … Perhaps a blanket …
Mowgli growls
BULDEO
Careful who you bite. I am Buldeo the Hunter, and will have respect
WOMAN
The poor boy … he has no clothes or shoes … See the marks on his arms
and legs … They are the bites of wolves
BULDEO
That’s because he’s nothing but a filthy little wolf-boy, aren’t you, wolfbrat? But you don’t understand what men say, do you? Let me see … how
about this? He gives out a long wolf howl
In wolf-tongue that means ‘I’m a miserable little half-breed who can’t
even speak as a man … I’m lower than the lowest caste and beg to be
your servant if you will only let me, oh my master.
WOMAN
We must give him food and water
BULDEO
We give him nothing. How dare you look me in the eye as if you’re my
equal … Look at you, you’re king of nothing. Take your eyes off me …
That’s an order!
He strikes Mowgli
MESSUA
Put down your knife, Buldeo!
BULDEO
He’s wild … Jungle filth!
MESSUA
I know this boy. He has the very look of my son, and I give him welcome.
I’ll take him to live in my house. You can give him work in the village.
BULDEO
That brat will never work here! I order him to leave this village!
MESSUA
You can order away till you’re blue in the face!
BULDEO
It must be put to the vote.
MESSUA
The only vote that counts in my house is my own and I say he stays! The
matter is settled.
BULDEO
Take him to your house, if you must, but do not take him into your heart
… He’s wild and one day he’ll run back to the jungle – where he belongs!
He goes and Messua approaches Mowgli
MESSUA
You know me, don’t you? I gave you fire. You’re asleep on your feet …
you poor boy. You are so like him … My son Nathoo … Oh Nathoo, do you
remember the day when I first gave you shoes …
MOWGLI
S-soos … soos
MESSUA
What did you say?
MOWGLI
Soos
MESSUA
Not soos … shoes
MOWGLI
Sh-shoes …
MESSUA
Good boy … you are quick and clever … I can see it in your eyes.
7.
SHERE KHAN / MOWGLI
MOWGLI
Come Tiger, kill me if you can. I would rather die than live in fear of you
one moment more …
SHERE KHAN
It is time!
MOWGLI
It is time!
SHERE KHAN
Look well, little man! Here are my teeth! Here are my claws. They come
for your bones at last!
MOWGLI
Then come!
SHERE KHAN
Ha! I see the fear in your eyes!
MOWGLI
I am not afraid!
SHERE KHAN
You have always been afraid! You’re my meat, man cub, you know this in
your heart! You won’t hurt me with that little stick. How weak you are!
MOWGLI
I am strong!
SHERE KHAN
Feel the power of Shere Khan! Feel the strength of the Great Tiger!
MOWGLI
I feel your power, Great Khan, and I’m no match for it. Truly you are the
strongest of them all.
SHERE KHAN
You surrender, man cub?
MOWGLI
I surrender.
SHERE KHAN
The kneel down before me!
MOWGLI
I was foolish to think I could stand against you … To your teeth I have
come
SHERE KHAN
Look well at this world, you will not see it again!
MOWGLI
Here is my throat
SHERE KHAN
Such sweet victory!
MOWGLI
Strike hard, mighty Khan, strike true!
SHERE KHAN
I’ll tear you! Oh yes, I’ll tear you!