The Jungle Books Quotes

“I will remember what I was, I am sick of rope and chains -
I will remember my old strength and all my forest affairs.
I will not sell my back to man for a bundle of sugar cane;
I will go out to my own kind, and the wood-folk in their lairs.
I will go out until the day, until the morning break -
Out to the wind's untainted kiss, the water's clean caress;
I will forget my ankle-ring and snap my picket stake.
I will revisit my lost love and playmates masterless!”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“A black shadow dropped down into the circle. It was Bagheera the Black Panther, inky black all over, but with the panther markings showing up in certain lights like the pattern of watered silk. Everybody knew Bagheera, and nobody cared to cross his path, for he was as cunning as Tabaqui, as bold as the wild buffalo, and as reckless as the wounded elephant. But he had a voice as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree, and a skin softer than down.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“We be of one blood, ye and I”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“These are the four that are never content: that have never been filled since the dew began-
Jacala's mouth, and the glut of the kite, and the hands of the ape, and the eyes of Man.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“I had never seen the jungle. They fed me behind bars from an iron pan till one night I felt that 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; and because I had learned the ways of men, I became more terrible in the jungle than Shere Khan.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“There's no jealousy in the grave.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“What is the Law of the Jungle? Strike first and then give tongue”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“The python dropped his head lightly for a moment on Mowgli's shoulders. "A brave heart and a courteous tongue," said he. "They shall carry thee far through the jungle, manling. But now go hence quickly with thy friends. Go and sleep, for the moon sets and what follows it is not well that thou shouldst see.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“What of the hunting, hunter bold?
Brother, the watch was long and cold.
What of the quarry ye went to kill?
Brother, he crops in the jungle still.
Where is the power that made your pride?
Brother, it ebbs from my flank and side.
Where is the haste that ye hurry by?
Brother, I go to my lair to die!”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“A Ripple Song

Once a ripple came to land
In the sunset burning-
Lapped against a maiden's hand,
By the ford returning.

Dainty foot and gentle breast-
Here, across, be glad and rest.
"Maiden, wait," the ripple saith
"Wait awhile, for I am Death!"

'Where my lover calls I go-
Shame it were to treat him coldly-
'Twas a fish that circled so,
Turning over boldly.'

Dainty foot and tender heart,
Wait the loaded ferry-cart.
"Wait, ah, wait!" the ripple saith;
"Maiden, wait, for I am Death!"

'When my lover calls I haste-
Dame Disdain was never wedded!'
Ripple-ripple round her waist,
Clear the current eddied.

Foolish heart and faithful hand,
Little feet that touched no land.
Far away the ripple sped,
Ripple-ripple-running red!”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“Let them fall Mowgli, they are only tears.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“but why should I waste wisdom on a river-turtle?”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“Remember, Bagheera loved thee," he cried, and bounded away. At the foot of the hill he cried again long and loud, "Good hunting on a new trail, Master of the Jungle! Remember, Bagheera loved thee.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“We be of one blood, thou and I—”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“As he stood in the red light of the oil-lamp, strong, tall, and beautiful, his long black hair sweeping over his shoulders, the knife swinging at his neck, and his head crowned with a wreath of white jasmine, he might easily have been mistaken for some wild god of a jungle legend. -"Son," she said at last,—her eyes were full of pride,—"have any told thee that thou art beautiful beyond all men?"

"Hah?" said Mowgli, for naturally he had never heard anything of the kind.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“Mowgli will drive Mowgli. Go back to thy people. Go to man. -Akela”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“The sky above them was an intense velvety black, changing to bands of Indian red on the horizon, where the great stars burned like street-lamps. From time to time a greenish wave of the Northern Lights would roll across the hollow of the high heavens, flick like a flag, and disappear; or a meteor would crackle from darkness to darkness, trailing a shower of sparks behind. Then they could see the ridged and furrowed surface of the floe tipped and laced with strange colours—red, copper, and bluish; but in the ordinary starlight everything turned to one frost-bitten gray.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“The People of the Eastern Ice, they are melting like the snow—
They beg for coffee and sugar; they go where the white men go.
The People of the Western Ice, they learn to steal and fight;
"They sell their furs to the trading-post: they sell their souls to the white.
The People of the Southern Ice, they trade with the whaler's crew;
Their women have many ribbons, but their tents are torn and few.
But the People of the Elder Ice, beyond the white man's ken—
Their spears are made of the narwhal-horn, and they are the last of the Men!”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“Ere the moon has climbed the mountain, ere the rocks
are ribbed with light,”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“Respect the aged!"

"It was a thick voice—a muddy voice that would have made you shudder—a voice like something soft breaking in two.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“Starosta nakázal Mauglimu, aby na druhý deň išiel pásť byvoly. Maugliho to nesmierne potešilo. A ako novovymenovaný obecný pastier zašiel ešte v ten večer do krúžku, čo sa schádzal večierkami na murovanej plošine pod košatým figovníkom. Bolo to akési dedinské kasíno, kam si večer chodili pofajčiť chlapi: starosta, hlásnik, holič, čo vedel o všetkých klebetách v dedine, a starý Baldev, poľovník, čo mal towerskú pušku. Opice sedeli nad nimi na konároch a ľapotali. Pod plošinou v diere žila kobra a každý večer dostávala misku mlieka, lebo bola posvätná. Starí chlapi si posadali okolo stromu a besedovali dlho do noci, bafkajúc z dlhých vodných fajok.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“Nuž, pamatuj, zde platí zákony džungle a pražádné jiné. Živ bude, kdo ctí je, kdo nezachovává je, ten bídně zhyne. Jak liána pevně lpí na stromě, odtrhnout nedá se ani – Tak chrání vlk smečku a v odměnu za to zas smečka ho chrání.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“Dobrý lov vám všem, kdo jste z mé krve,”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“Celé umění tkví v tom, neukazovat se proti obzoru, jinak po tobě střelí. Zapiš si to za uši, chlapče. Třeba míli si zajdi, jenom zůstaň schován.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“Ostatní tě nenávidí jen proto, že nesnesou tvůj pohled, protože jsi moudrý, protože jsi jim vytahal trny z nohou – protože jsi člověk.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“Vlci jsou svobodný lid,“ řekl táta Vlk. „Dávají si poroučet jenom od náčelníka smečky, ne od nějakého pruhovaného zabíječe dobytka. Člověčí mládě je naše – zabijeme je sami, až se nám zlíbí.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books

“Hathi, the wild elephant, who lives for a hundred years and more, saw a long, lean blue ridge of rock show dry in the very centre of the stream, he knew that he was looking at the Peace Rock, and then and there he lifted up his trunk and proclaimed the Water Truce,”
― Rudyard Kipling, Rudyard Kipling: The Complete Jungle Books [The Jungle Book & The Second Jungle Book]

“Of course, Kaa could have crushed a dozen Mowglis if he had let himself go; but he played carefully, and never loosed one-tenth of his power. Ever since Mowgli was strong enough to endure a little rough handling, Kaa had taught him this game, and it suppled his limbs as nothing else could.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Complete Jungle Books