Page:The second jungle book (IA secondjunglebook00kipliala).pdf/14

2 spent a great part of his life in the Seconee Wolf-Pack, learning the Law from Baloo the brown bear; and it was Baloo who told him, when the boy grew impatient at the constant orders, that the Law was like the Giant Creeper, because it dropped across every one's back and no one could escape. 'When thou hast lived as long as I have, Little Brother, thou wilt see how all the Jungle obeys at least one Law. And that will be no pleasant sight,' said Baloo.

This talk went in at one ear and out at the other, for a boy who spends his life eating and sleeping does not worry about anything till it actually stares him in the face. But one year Baloo's words came true, and Mowgli saw all the Jungle working under one Law.

It began when the winter Rains failed almost entirely, and Sahi, the Porcupine, meeting Mowgli in a bamboo thicket, told him that the wild yams were drying up. Now everybody knows that Sahi is ridiculously fastidious in his choice of food, and will cat nothing but the very best and ripest. So Mowgli laughed and said, 'What is that to me?'

'Not much now,' said Sahi, rattling his quills in a stiff, uncomfortable way, but later we shall see. Is there any more diving into the deep rockpool below the Bee-Rocks, Little Brother?'

'No. The foolish water is going all away, and I do not wish to break my head,' said Mowgli, who was quite sure he knew as much as any five of the Jungle People put together.

"That is thy loss. A small crack might let in some wisdom.' Sahi ducked quickly to prevent Mowgli from pulling his nose-bristles, and Mowgli