Abandoned in the forest and brought up by wolves, Mowgli the man-child learns the ways and secrets of the jungle from the animals around him especially Bagheera, the sleek black panther, Kaa the python and Balloo the bear. But Mowgli's life is in danger from his enemy, Shere Khan the Tiger and he must get to the safety of his own kind before Shere Khan tracks him down. These rich and complex fables are shown through the anthropomorphic qualities of many different animals and are a mixture of adventure, myth and magic. They draw from Kipling's own experience of India, a country he loved dearly and his preoccupation with themes such as the Law of nature and self-discovery.
