The Jungle Book (1st ed. - 07.24.07) - junglebook5jr
Copyright © 2007 Monica Flory
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This is for Mom, Dad, Andrea, and Jason,
who help me to navigate the jungle.
Cast of Characters
KITES (3), a chorus of eagle-like birds who uphold the Laws of
the Jungle. They are the embodiment of the god Vishnu.
FATHER WOLF, raises Mowgli. Kind and strong.
MOTHER WOLF, raises Mowgli. Loving and fiercely protective.
WOLF CUB, young wolf. Mowgli’s younger sister or brother.
WOLVES (2), other members of the pack.
TABAQUI, the jackal who acts as Shere Khan’s servant. Twofaced, mad and cunning.
SHERE KHAN, the tiger who will stop at nothing to get Mowgli. Power-hungry—he wants justice for missing his kill.
AKELA, leader of the wolf pack. She is ancient and intelligent.
BALOO, the bear who teaches Mowgli the Laws of the Jungle.
Emotional, slow to anger, lazy and wise.
BAGHEERA, the black panther, friend to Mowgli and Baloo.
She is slick, intelligent, and feared by many.
MOWGLI, the boy who has been raised by wolves. Defiant,
sweet, loyal, brash, coming of age.
MONKEYS (FUNKY, CHEEKY, AND TROUT), foolish, chattering, imitative, star-struck, nervous and excitable.
KAA, a wise, saucy, old snake. She helps Baloo and Bagheera
confront the monkey-folk.
MESSUA, woman of the village who tries to communicate
with Mowgli.
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Production Notes
The gender of any role may be switched. Please change the
pronouns accordingly. The number of monkeys and kites may
be changed according to the needs of your production. The
kite lines may be said in unison or divided between actors as
you wish.
Acknowledgments
The Jungle Book was commissioned in 2004 by The New Acting
Company, a program of The Children’s Aid Society, in New
York City (Stephen Michael Rondel, Artistic Director; Steve
Wobido, Center Director).
The world premiere production of The Jungle Book was produced by The New Acting Company on April 1, 2005. The
production was directed by David A. Miller; the set and lighting designs were by Gregg Bellon; the costume design was by
Oana Botez-Ban; the music was by Lucian Ban; the art design
was by Margeaux Lucas; the dramaturg was Amy Harris and
the stage manager was Andrea Ghersetich. The cast was as
follows:
TABAQUI.................................................... Jay Duffer
BAGHEERA .......................................Carrie Heitman
WOLF/MONKEY ............................. Aliza Kennerly
WOLF/MONKEY ........................... Cristiano Magni
AKELA/KAA ....................................Heather Massie
WOLF CUB ...................................... Alexander Mays
SHERE KHAN ..............Christopher L. McAllister, I
FATHER WOLF................... Duncan Hale Murdoch
BALOO ............................... Stephen Michael Rondel
WOLF CUB .......................................... Anna Sinreich
MOWGLI...................................... Malik Conard Sow
MOTHER WOLF/MESSUA .Amanda Lee Wyckoff
This production was extended by two weeks, and in that time,
the following actors replaced actors from the original cast:
FATHER WOLF................................Matthew Dorter
MOTHER WOLF/MESSUA ................. Molly Lloyd
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THE JUNGLE BOOK
ADAPTED FROM RUDYARD KIPLING
by Monica Flory
Scene 1
(Darkness. Drumming. It is night in the Jungle. There is the sound
of a human baby crying. The KITES fly overhead. Dim light comes
up as the WOLVES hunt.)
KITES. Night in the Jungle. Night in the Jungle. Night in the Jungle.
Night in the Jungle.
WOLF 1. Know who your allies are.
KITES. Night in the Jungle. Night in the Jungle.
FATHER WOLF. You can kill anything you’re strong enough to
kill.
MOTHER WOLF. A brave heart is your best weapon.
ALL WOLVES. Laws of the Jungle. Laws of the Jungle.
WOLF 2. Strike first and talk later.
ALL WOLVES & KITES. Laws of the Jungle. Laws of the Jungle.
WOLF 1. Hunt for food, not for pleasure.
WOLF 2. Noble wolves never forget the hungry.
ALL WOLVES & KITES. Now is the hour of pride and power. Of
talon and tooth and claw. Oh, hear the call! Good hunting, all who
keep the Jungle Law.
KITES. Who keep the Jungle Law.
(TABAQUI THE JACKAL enters.)
TABAQUI. (From offstage:) Hellllloooo! Anybody home? (Onstage:)
There you are. Friends!
FATHER WOLF. (Not amused:) Tabaqui.
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Monica Flory
TABAQUI. Well, I was just in the neighborhood, so I decided to
drop by to see your lovely, sleeping cubs—so adorable.
KITES. Laws of the Jungle. It’s unlucky to compliment children in
front of their parents.
TABAQUI. Of course they’re adorable—just look at the two of you!
Such attractive parents!
FATHER WOLF. We don’t have any food.
TABAQUI. What makes you think I came here for food?
FATHER WOLF. We don’t have any.
TABAQUI. Well, no food for picky eaters like yourselves. (Looking
around.) But my kind are perfectly happy with a mere scrap of bone,
perhaps a loose tooth or a loose ear… (Finding a bone.) Oh, happy
day! Oh, joy! (Munches joyfully.)
FATHER WOLF. You can go now.
TABAQUI. (Violent outburst. The other wolves hide.) You are daring
to ask me to leave!
KITES. Dewanee! The madness!
TABAQUI. (Utterly mad:) Perhaps you are not grateful for the news
I bring? Ungrateful beasts! (Sweet and silly, as if nothing has just happened:) In other words, maybe you’re wondering why I’ve stopped
by. It wasn’t just to see the cubs—sweetest things I’ve ever seen,
with their scruffy little snouts and wet little noses…
FATHER WOLF. Tabaqui, why are you here?
TABAQUI. (Mad:) Don’t rush me! (Sweet:) Ah, yes. Shere Khan, the
Big One, has shifted his hunting grounds.
FATHER WOLF. No!
TABAQUI. Oh yes, my friend. He will hunt among these hills for
the next moon… (Suddenly violent) but you didn’t hear it from me!
KITES. He has no right to change his quarters without due warning! It is Jungle Law.
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11
FATHER WOLF. He will scare away every head of game within ten
miles—and I must kill for two these days.
MOTHER WOLF. (Sincere:) Shere Khan has been lame in one foot
since birth—he has never had the advantages we do. And he distracts the villagers so that they do not bother us. Indeed, we are
very grateful to Shere Khan!
TABAQUI. Oh, good. Shall I tell him of your gratitude?
FATHER WOLF. No.
TABAQUI. Shall I deliver flowers?
FATHER WOLF. Out! Go back to your master! You’ve annoyed us
enough for one night.
TABAQUI. I’m going already! Geez, you try to do your best friend
a favor…
(The sound of SHERE KHAN yelping in pain, in the distance.)
Uh-oh, that’s him. Doesn’t sound too happy—I’d better check on
him! Hm, I might have saved myself the trouble of coming! Toodleoo! (He exits.)
FATHER WOLF. I’m worried about the cubs.
MOTHER WOLF. Hush! It is not our kind Shere Khan is hunting
tonight. It is humans.
FATHER WOLF. You’re right.
KITES. Laws of the Jungle. Humans are weak and defenseless. It is
unsportsmanlike to harm them.
(Baby Mowgli crawls on stage, giggling. The puppet is manipulated
by one of the wolves.)
FATHER WOLF. Oh, look at this! A woman’s cub!
MOTHER WOLF. I have never seen one this close before. Bring it
here. (WOLF 2 picks the puppet up in her mouth.) How funny! How
little! (To the baby:) The jungle is big, little one, and you are very
small. (To others:) Now, was there ever a wolf who could boast of a
man-cub among her children?
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12
FATHER WOLF. Never in our Pack.
WOLF 1. His parents must have abandoned him at the edge of the
Jungle.
MOTHER WOLF. And he found his way to us. How resourceful!
FATHER WOLF. He looks up, and he is not afraid.
KITES. He is not afraid.
MOTHER WOLF. He belongs here.
(There are sounds of SHERE KHAN shuffling nearby.)
FATHER WOLF. Shere Khan is getting closer. Hide the cub!
(The wolves drag Baby Mowgli to a hiding place. TABAQUI enters,
with SHERE KHAN behind. TABAQUI is chattering the whole
way.)
TABAQUI. So I asked if I should bring you flowers, which was a
joke, get it? But I know how daisies is your favorite flowers…
SHERE KHAN. Silence, fool! Don’t you ever shut up?
TABAQUI. (To himself:) Or was it daffodils? I can never remember…
(SHERE KHAN enters, and locks eyes with FATHER WOLF.)
SHERE KHAN. (To the wolves:) Where is the human?
FATHER WOLF. Shere Khan does us great honor. What does Shere
Khan need?
SHERE KHAN. My dinner. A woman’s cub has come this way. Its
parents have run off and now it is mine. Give it to me.
FATHER WOLF. The wolves are Free Beings. As you well know,
Free Beings take orders from the Head of the Pack, not from any
striped beast. The man-cub is ours to kill, if we choose.
SHERE KHAN. You choose, do you? What is this talk of choosing?
MOTHER WOLF. He came to us. He is ours.
WOLF 1. Yeah, you missed your kill. You have no right to him.
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13
KITES. Laws of the Jungle. Punishment settles all scores.
SHERE KHAN. I burned one of my good feet in the fire for that
scrawny baby. He will be my prize. It is I, Shere Khan, who speaks!
(He roars.)
MOTHER WOLF. (Fiercely. She is terrifying:) It is I, Raksha the Demon, who answers. The woman’s cub is mine, lowlife—mine to me!
He will not be killed! He will live to run with the Pack and hunt
with the Pack; look you, shameful hunter of little, naked cubs—you
frog-eater, you fish-killer! One day, he will hunt you instead!
SHERE KHAN. (He is frightened of her—backing away.) We’ll see
what the Pack has to say about this. That cub is mine, you bushtailed thieves! In the end, he will be mine!
(SHERE KHAN exits.)
TABAQUI. (Mad:) Mine! All mine! I mean, his! (Sweet:) Ciao! (He
exits.)
FATHER WOLF. Away, fool! (To Mother Wolf:) He is a man, not a
wolf.
KITES. Only birds fly between the Jungle and the Village.
FATHER WOLF. Should we keep him?
KITES. Wolves run with their Pack; humans run with their own.
MOTHER WOLF. Should we keep him? He is naked, alone, and
hungry—but he is not afraid! He is a brave and noble cub. Yes, we
will keep him. Yes.
(The other wolves exit, leaving MOTHER and FATHER alone with
Baby Mowgli.)
MOTHER WOLF. (Cuddling Mowgli; she manipulates the puppet.) I
have frightened him for now, but some day I will be too old to protect you. What should I name you?
KITES. It looks like a little frog!
MOTHER WOLF. Mowgli the Frog, then. You must grow up
strong and proud, little Mowgli.
KITES. Everything in the Jungle happens for a reason.
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MOTHER WOLF. The time will come when you will hunt Shere
Khan as he just hunted you. Then you must protect us. This is your
destiny. But that is for another time. For now, sleep, little one—
sleep.
(Lights down.)
Scene 2
(Lights up on monkeys FUNKY, CHEEKY, and TROUT.)
FUNKY. Uh-oh. I think we swung too far.
CHEEKY. Definitely too far, too far.
TROUT. Uh, guys? Where are we? Aren’t we near the wolf cave?
CHEEKY. Oh, yeah. Looks like Council Rock to me. Let’s get outta
here!
FUNKY. Who knows what interesting things might happen! Let’s
stay!
CHEEKY. Aren’t you scared?
FUNKY. Me? Nah!
(TABAQUI enters. FUNKY is startled and jumps.)
TABAQUI. Friends!
FUNKY, CHEEKY, TROUT. (Excited:) Tabaqui.
TABAQUI. Now, that’s the kind of proper reaction a jackal expects.
It’s your lucky day, my friends. Do I have some news for you…
CHEEKY. What is it?
FUNKY. What is it?
TROUT. Eh? Eh? Eh?
TABAQUI. (Mad:) Alright! Calm down! (Sane:) Here’s the juicy little tidbit I picked up just for you.
TROUT. For us? Really? Aw, shucks.
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15
TABAQUI. Silence! Alrighty, then. There’s a man-cub living among
us in the Jungle. He’ll make you three famous one day.
CHEEKY. Famous? Really?
TABAQUI. Oh, yes. Anytime you have the opportunity to take him
for a swing, you should. (Mad:) The wolves are coming! Get out of
here!
(The MONKEYS run off as MOTHER WOLF, FATHER WOLF
and BALOO enter together, chattering about the new cub. TABAQUI watches, hiding. SHERE KHAN enters watches, scowling
in the corner. WOLVES 1 & 2 amble in.)
MOTHER WOLF. Good hunting to you!
WOLF 2. How is our little cub?
FATHER WOLF. Growing every day.
WOLF 1. (To get the group’s attention:) Good hunting, everyone!
(AKELA enters and all rise to attention.)
KITES. Akela! The Lone Wolf! The Wise One! (They fly off.)
AKELA. Good hunting to you all! Please be at ease. We have gathered here at Council Rock to discuss this woman’s cub. We must
decide if he can be a member of our Pack. Now, who brings him
here?
MOTHER & FATHER WOLF. We do.
AKELA. The Law of the Jungle states that two beings must speak,
and neither can be the cub’s parent. Who will speak? (Pause.) Anyone?
(TABAQUI steps out of his hiding place.)
TABAQUI. Well, if no one’s going to say anything, I have a story I
could tell…
AKELA. Not you. Anyone else?
TABAQUI. Well, your loss.
MOTHER WOLF. (Whispering:) Baloo! Say something!
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BALOO. (BALOO has fallen asleep.) What? Huh? Sure, uh, what was
the question? Oh, right. Sorry. Sure, I’ll teach the man-cub. I’ll teach
him the Jungle laws and he will be fit to live among us. Sounds like
fun. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I was having an excellent dream…
AKELA. Thank you, Baloo.
SHERE KHAN. Akela! Look well, this cub is mine. He was mine
from the beginning, and I wasted a whole night’s hunt on him. I
burned my good foot for that stupid cub. Give him to me! A
woman’s cub is no use to you. Hand him over—now!
AKELA. We only take orders from the Free Beings, not your kind.
TABAQUI. Oooh, she got you there.
SHERE KHAN. Shut up!
AKELA. Who else will speak for him?
(BAGHEERA enters as the KITES fly back on.)
BAGHEERA. I will! I’m sorry to interrupt your meeting—I just got
message from our friends. Isn’t it true, Akela, that a cub can be
bought for the Pack?
AKELA. Jungle Law says it is so.
BAGHEERA. To kill such a little one is a shame, and he will make
better sport when he is older. I will offer a fat calf, newly killed, to
buy him.
SHERE KHAN. I am too hungry to refuse.
KITES. Mowgli, you must never kill cattle. Your liberty has been
bought for the price of a calf’s life.
SHERE KHAN. The Pack must consider what I have said. The boy
will be mine, with your permission or without it! (He roars and exits.)
BAGHEERA. The time will come when this little thing will make
that beast roar to a different tune, or I know nothing of humankind.
TABAQUI. (Mad:) How dare you insult the great Shere Khan?
(Sweet:) Sayonara!
(TABAQUI exits.)
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17
WOLF 1. He won’t fit in here—a man can never be truly at home in
the Jungle.
KITES. He belongs in the Village.
WOLF 2. What good is a man-cub to us?
KITES. He’s not strong enough.
WOLF 1. Don’t man-cubs melt in the sun?
BALOO. Actually, that’s not true. Common myth, though.
MOTHER. He’s already one of us. He’s chosen us.
FATHER. Please, Akela. Don’t take one of our own.
AKELA. We will let him run with the pack. Humans and their cubs
can be very wise. He may be of help to us in time. Take him and
train him as befits one of the Free Beings.
(Lights down. Drumming. In shadow, MOWGLI grows from a baby
to 11 years old.)
KITES. Laws of the Jungle: winter turns to spring. Bear cubs grow
stronger and braver. Birds learn to fly on their own. Calves wobble
and then walk. Tiger cubs turn into striped beasts. Eleven winters
passed. Mowgli grew strong, as a cub must when he doesn’t know
he is learning lessons. He grew to know the dark, warm heart of the
Jungle. He called himself a wolf.
Scene 3
(Lights up on 11-year-old MOWGLI and MOTHER WOLF.
MOWGLI is making a mat of leaves. MOTHER WOLF watches
him lovingly.)
MOTHER WOLF. Little One, you are such a big help.
MOWGLI. And…done! Mom, I’m gonna go practice my hunting.
MOTHER WOLF. Wait a minute…I have something I want to talk
to you about.
MOWGLI. What?
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Monica Flory
KITES. Tell him he’s not one of us.
MOTHER WOLF. Let me ask you a question, dear.
KITES. Tell him to go back to his own home.
MOTHER WOLF. What kind of being are you?
MOWGLI. A Free Being!
MOTHER WOLF. Yes, but what kind of creature are you?
MOWGLI. Don’t be silly—obviously, I’m a wolf!
MOTHER WOLF. Mowgli, I…it’s just that…I don’t know if you realize this, but you’re not a wolf—you’re a human being.
MOWGLI. What? (Pause.) What?
MOTHER WOLF. You’re a boy.
MOWGLI. What? But I feel like a wolf. I do all the things my brothers and sisters do.
KITES. You are not the same, Mowgli.
MOTHER WOLF. Your father and I thought the time was right to
tell you.
MOWGLI. I’m not a wolf.
MOTHER WOLF. You are and you aren’t.
MOWGLI. I’m not a wolf.
MOTHER WOLF. It’s not that simple, Mowgli. You are one of us,
but you’re of a different species.
MOWGLI. So, I’m adopted?
MOTHER WOLF. Yes, in a way.
MOWGLI. I look a little different, don’t I?
MOTHER WOLF. Not very different…
MOWGLI. Oh.
KITES. The heart knows.
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19
MOTHER WOLF. You’re special, Mowgli. In a way, you’re both a
boy and a wolf.
MOWGLI. But I want to be all wolf, like the rest of you.
MOTHER WOLF. You are like us, in all the important ways.
(MOWGLI does not respond.) Mowgli, you know that I have always
loved you as my own. To me…well, you’ll always be my wolf. (She
exits.)
Scene 4
(MOWGLI sits on a rock to think.)
KITES. Humans run with their own pack. What kind of creature
are you? Like us in all the important ways.
(BALOO enters.)
BALOO. The Jungle is big and the cub is small. Now, let’s review
yesterday’s lessons. Perhaps after a quick snooze… (BALOO pretends to want to use MOWGLI as a pillow; MOWGLI is not amused.)
What’s troubling you?
MOWGLI. Baloo, can I ask you something?
BALOO. Alright.
MOWGLI. Do you ever feel like…when you hang around with the
wolves…like you’re not really a part of the group?
BALOO. What do you mean?
MOWGLI. Because you’re a bear. You know what I mean, being
different and stuff.
BALOO. Well, no. Because we’re part of the same Pack.
MOWGLI. I know. But you look different—do you also feel that
way?
BALOO. I never thought about it before. Do you?
MOWGLI. Well, yeah. I mean, I don’t get it. What I don’t get is—
why me? I mean, why am I the one who was hunted by that tiger?
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Why am I the only one from the Village who had to grow up in the
Jungle?
BALOO. No one can really say why. But hang in there—everything
in the Jungle happens for a reason. Now, review. Your strength…
MOWGLI. (By rote:) Is the strength of a hunter.
BALOO. So be clean…
MOWGLI. …for the strength of a hunter is known by the gloss of
his hide.
BALOO. Don’t oppress the cubs of a stranger…
MOWGLI. But treat them as sister and brother.
BALOO. Because…
MOWGLI. It might be that a bear is their mother. Baloo, I know all
this stuff by heart. Can we just skip my lesson for one little day?
Can we play the staring game? Please, I’ve been practicing. I can go
for almost three elephants.
BALOO. You are human! You will always win!
MOWGLI. That’s why it’s my favorite game!
BALOO. Oh, okay.
(BAGHEERA enters.)
BALOO. Oh, thank you, Bagheera! The panther saves the day
again.
MOWGLI. Hi, Bagheera.
BAGHEERA. Hello, little one.
MOWGLI. I’ve survived eleven winters. When are you going to
stop calling me “little one”?
BAGHEERA. When you’re as big as Baloo.
BALOO. We’re just starting Mowgli’s lesson.
BAGHEERA. Well then, I will only trouble you for a different lesson. Mowgli, do you remember how we spoke of Shere Khan?
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MOWGLI. Yes—Shere Kahn is that tiger, right? The one who tried
to kill me when I was a baby cub.
BAGHEERA. And he will try to kill you again, Little One. He is our
enemy and you will fight him someday.
BALOO. Bagheera, this is part of a later lesson, if you know what I
mean…
BAGHEERA. Akela grows older day by day. He will not be protected forever.
BALOO. He’s not old enough. Look how little he is!
MOWGLI. (Offended:) Hey!
BALOO. I’ve been around for 79 winters, my friend. To me, you’re
little.
BAGHEERA. I’m not telling him to make him afraid.
MOWGLI. Why should I be afraid? I have you, Bagheera, and I
have the Pack, and Baloo—you’d take out a tiger for me, wouldn’t
you?
BALOO. If I was well-rested. Sure, I would.
BAGHEERA. There is one in the jungle who is more terrible than
Shere Khan. Do you know who that is?
MOWGLI. You. All in the Jungle fear Bagheera—all except Mowgli!
BAGHEERA. (To BALOO:) Yes, he’s a human—that’s for sure.
BALOO. More pride than a pride full of lions.
MOWGLI. But, I don’t get it. It’s been 11 winters. Why does Shere
Khan still want to… (he plugs BALOO’s ears) kill me?
BALOO. I heard that.
BAGHEERA. Simple. Look at me.
(MOWGLI stares at BAGHEERA, who must quickly turn her
head.)
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BAGHEERA. Not even I can look at you between the eyes. And I
was born among men, and I love you, Little Brother. Others despise
you because they cannot meet your eyes, because you are a man,
and because someday you will be wise.
MOWGLI. I don’t get it.
BAGHEERA. Your kind…
MOWGLI. My kind are the Pack.
BAGHEERA. Your other kind, Mowgli—are capable of doing terrible things in the Jungle. If the people of the Village are angered,
they will come into the Jungle with guns and gongs and rockets and
torches.
MOWGLI. What does that have to do with staring at each other?
BAGHEERA. When the Jungle animals look into your eyes, they
see what your kind are capable of, and they are afraid. Mowgli, you
came to the Jungle, and you must earn your place here.
MOWGLI. See, Baloo? It’s because I’m different. I don’t want the
animals to be afraid of me. I hate being different.
BAGHEERA. Come, Baloo—we have some private matters to discuss.
BALOO. (As they exit:) Good hunting, Mowgli.
Scene 5
KITES. Laws of the Jungle. You can kill anything you’re strong
enough to kill.
(MOWGLI reviews his studies, but he is easily distracted by the
things around him. He begins to pretend to fight SHERE KHAN.)
MOWGLI. You think tigers are tough? You’ve never met Mowgli!
Take that, you stupid, striped weakling!
(The WOLF CUB enters and watches him.)
KITES. Are you strong enough? Fast enough? Brave enough?
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MOWGLI. Oh yeah? Oh yeah?
(MOWGLI pretends to fight SHERE KHAN.)
MOWGLI. Yep—just as I thought.
(CUB giggles.)
CUB. Mowgli, what are you doing?
MOWGLI. Sister! (Embarrassed:) Nothing. Practicing my…lessons.
CUB. Baloo must teach you some strange lessons. Do you wanna
have a race?
MOWGLI. What—you think I can’t beat you, you little squirt?
CUB. Ready set go!
(CUB starts running ahead of MOWGLI. She tags a tree.)
CUB. I win!
MOWGLI. That’s not fair! You started first!
CUB. Did not!
MOWGLI. Did too!
(They paw at each other.)
CUB. I’m telling mom!
MOWGLI. Not if I tell her first!
(They sulk for a minute.)
CUB. Want to go for a swim?
MOWGLI. No. Want to have a staring contest?
CUB. What’s a staring contest?
MOWGLI. We look at each other’s eyes, and whoever has to look
away first, loses.
CUB. That’s stupid.
MOWGLI. No, it’s fun.
CUB. Okay—I’ll play.
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MOWGLI. On the count of three…one…two…three
(They stare at each other. The CUB quickly looks away.)
MOWGLI. Aha! I counted four elephants long! I win!
CUB. Stupid game.
MOWGLI. You just think that because I won.
CUB. No, I think that because it’s a stupid game.
MOWGLI. Fine then.
CUB. Just because you won doesn’t mean you’re special.
MOWGLI. Come on, I never said that.
CUB. Just because you get special tutoring from Baloo.
MOWGLI. Stop it!
CUB. You’re different than the rest of us.
MOWGLI. Am not.
CUB. Oh, yeah? Where’s your fur? Why are your ears on the side of
your head?
MOWGLI. Be quiet!
CUB. I mean, believe what you want.
MOWGLI. It doesn’t matter.
CUB. Don’t you miss having a tail? It’s fun having a tail.
MOWGLI. No, I don’t care.
CUB. It’s useful having a tail. I feel sorry for you. It’s okay and everything, just as long as you know you’re not really one of us.
MOWGLI. Shut up! Yes I am!
(TABAQUI enters. He is fiercely hungry.)
TABAQUI. (Looking around for Mother and Father Wolf.) Oh, good
afternoon! I was just in search of an afternoon snack when I heard
this beautiful display of sibling love!
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MOWGLI. Go away, Tabaqui! I’m not in the mood.
TABAQUI. Listen, brats. I’m starving here. Either you find me
some lunch or I’ll get Shere Khan.
(The CUB is cowering by MOWGLI.)
MOWGLI. If you do that, I’ll get our parents.
TABAQUI. Look at how scared she is! I thought a minute ago your
little sister might beat you up.
MOWGLI. It’s okay, Puff. Just get out of here, Tabaqui! You can
starve before we help you find any food.
TABAQUI. (Mad:) Why, you…you…human! Born of hairless
woman! You ugly, two-legged beast—may Shere Khan tear you
limb from limb!
(TABAQUI exits. MOWGLI stands in shock.)
CUB. (Running off:) I’m getting Mom.
Scene 6
(Two MONKEYS enter. They watch MOWGLI as if he is a celebrity.)
FUNKY. Is it?
CHEEKY. Could it be?
FUNKY. Oh, I don’t think so.
CHEEKY. Oh, I think it is!
FUNKY. Yes, it is!
CHEEKY. Oh it is, it is, it is!
TROUT. What is it?
FUNKY. He’s from a man…
CHEEKY. But he’s also a cub…
(TROUT joyfully calls out with the rest.)
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ALL MONKEYS. Man-cub! Man-cub! Man-cub!
TROUT. What is that?
FUNKY. We’ll tell you later.
(MOWGLI is amused.)
MOWGLI. Hello?
CHEEKY. Is he talking to us?
FUNKY. No, I don’t think so.
TROUT. Couldn’t be—couldn’t be!
MOWGLI. I can hear you, you know.
CHEEKY. To us?
FUNKY. Yes, I think so.
CHEEKY. I think it was!
MOWGLI. (Amused:) Yes!
TROUT. No! (Other monkeys give him a look:) Meaning yes!
CHEEKY. (Tentative:) Hello?
MOWGLI. Hello.
FUNKY. Oooooh! The man-cub speaks!
CHEEKY. Oh, we are honored, sir.
FUNKY. We are so very honored. (To TROUT:) Tell him we are
honored!
TROUT. We are not worthy.
(During the last exchange, MOWGLI has scratched his leg and the
monkeys have copied him. Now, he realizes this and makes several
gestures, which they faithfully copy.)
MOWGLI. So it is true what they say.
(Each MONKEY copies his gesture in turn with the line.)
FUNKY. What?
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CHEEKY. What?
TROUT. No comprendo.
MOWGLI. You know—monkey see, monkey do.
(They still imitate MOWGLI.)
FUNKY. See what?
CHEEKY. Do what?
MOWGLI. Never mind. So, what’s it like swinging through trees
all day?
FUNKY. What’s it like? Well…
CHEEKY. It’s exciting…
FUNKY. Daring…
CHEEKY. Adventurous…
TROUT. Well, you know what they say don’t you?
(MOWGLI shakes his head.)
ALL MONKEYS. (Proud:) Monkey business is the best business!
CHEEKY. Ever thought of getting into the monkey business?
TROUT. Yeah, ever thought of it?
MOWGLI. No.
FUNKY. Plenty of opportunities for a nice-looking young man like
yourself!
CHEEKY. Great benefits!
TROUT. Fun co-workers!
FUNKY. But first, you have to learn the ropes, so to speak.
CHEEKY. Swinging, branch basics, gliding…
TROUT. Hanging out, so to speak.
MOWGLI. Sounds like fun.
TROUT. Oh, it is! Hey—you wanna see our imitation of humans?
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CHEEKY. Ooooh, do you, do you?
MOWGLI. Okay…
(The MONKEYS act like monkeys.)
MOWGLI. You’re funny.
FUNKY. Hey—do you wanna try it?
TROUT. Ooooh, you wanna?
FUNKY. It’s the best business!
CHEEKY. Best business! Starting today!
TROUT. Oh, listen. I just thought up this one! Now we go in a
flung festoon. Halfway up to the jealous moon. This is the way of
monkey-kind. Brother, your tail hangs down behind!
FUNKY. She’s a poet.
CHEEKY. And don’t nobody know it.
FUNKY. Oh, yes, you must come with us!
TROUT. You must! You must!
MOWGLI. Okay!
ALL MONKEYS. (Mass hysteria and confusion as all five try to point
the way in different directions. Ad lib.) This way! That way! No, this
way! I think we go this way!
MOWGLI. Oh, come on.
(He leads them off.)
Scene 7
(BALOO enters, looks for MOWGLI.)
BALOO. Mowgli! Helllloooo! Time for some of that delicious jungle
knowledge! Now, stop hiding from me, you silly thing! You know
this belly doesn’t travel fast. I brought nuts and honey, Mowgli.
Come on, silly cub. Mowgli?
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(In shadow or live action: MOWGLI is flying among the branches
with the monkeys.)
MOWGLI. Wow, this is fun!
FUNKY. This is what we do all day!
TROUT. All day! All day!
CHEEKY. Isn’t it great?
MOWGLI. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had! Here—follow me!
CHEEKY. We will!
TROUT. We will follow you!
(They swing off together.)
Scene 8
(BALOO paces, looking restless. MOWGLI enters, beaming.)
BALOO. Mowgli! Mowgli! Mowgli! Where have you been? I’ve
been looking for you all afternoon! You can’t just run off when it’s
time for your lesson…
MOWGLI. (Interrupting:) I’m sorry, Baloo. I was practicing my
hunting and I lost track of the sun.
BALOO. I have a new Jungle Law. Not good to make a big bear angry.
MOWGLI. (Puppy face:) I’m sorry, Baloo. Can you ever forgive me?
BALOO. Oh…alright. Now, we must review the Master-Words of
the jungle. First, as we say it.
MOWGLI. We are of one blood, you and I.
BALOO. Now, in bird.
(MOWGLI whistles and chirps.)
BALOO. Very good. In snake, if you please.
(MOWGLI hisses.)
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BALOO. No, that was unclear. Say it again, like this:
(BALOO hisses to demonstrate. MOWGLI hisses, annoyed.)
BALOO. No. Again.
(MOWGLI hisses, more annoyed.)
BALOO. Do you know why we do this? Do you? Because I don’t
want you to fear anyone. I want you to fit in wherever you go.
MOWGLI. Who cares? Someday I’ll have a tribe of my own, and
lead them through the branches all day long.
BALOO. Oh you will, will you? You little dreamer of dreams!
MOWGLI. Yes, I’ll have my own tribe and no more stupid lessons.
We’ll come over here and teach you a thing or two.
BALOO. You sound like a little monkey. Uh-oh, have you been
hanging around with the monkeys? Have you? Those lawless
creatures…they’re almost…sub-human!
MOWGLI. They said I was their blood-brother except that I had no
tail, and I should be their leader someday.
BALOO. They have no leader. They have no laws! They lie, Mowgli—they have always lied.
MOWGLI. It’s my choice! I’m going back to them!
(MOWGLI tries to leave.)
BALOO. Oh, I don’t think so.
(BALOO sits on him.)
MOWGLI. Let me up! They were nice to me, Baloo. They walk on
their feet like I do and let me play all day. They don’t sit on me. Let
me up!
BALOO. (Angry:) Listen well, man-cub. I have taught you the laws
of the Jungle for all other kinds except the monkey-folk. Have you
ever heard me mention them before?
MOWGLI. (Sullen now:) No.
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BALOO. That is because they do not follow Jungle Law. We do not
go where the monkeys go, we do not hunt where they hunt, we do
not die where they die. What they want most of all is to be noticed
by us. And we do not notice them. They are the wrong crowd. Is
this understood?
MOWGLI. Yes. I’m sorry, Baloo.
BALOO. (Helping MOWGLI get up and hugging him tightly:) That’ s
okay. No more hanging with monkeys.
MOWGLI. Okay. Baloo? You’re my favorite bear.
BALOO. I am? I am! (Hugs MOWGLI tighter.)
MOWGLI. (Suffocating:) Baloo?
BALOO. What?
MOWGLI. Too much bear hug.
BALOO. Oh, yes. (Lets go of MOWGLI.) Come now, little monkeyman. It’s time for old Baloo’s nap.
(MOWGLI and BALOO nap, MOWGLI’s head on BALOO’s big
belly. Lighting change.)
Scene 9
(BALOO and MOWGLI sleep. The KITES fly in.)
KITES. Look at that! Little Frog and Big Bear sleep. Ah, such peace.
Too peaceful, I think. Uh-oh, look who’s coming. We can stay. Do
you want to be responsible for waking that enormous bear? It’s Baloo! Baloo or no Baloo, he’s bigger than we are. And he climbs.
Good point! Let’s get out of here!
(The KITES fly out as the MONKEYS enter.)
FUNKY. (Whispering:) Our leader!
CHEEKY. Our leader sleeps.
FUNKY. We must wake him!
TROUT. Let us wake him!
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CHEEKY. No! No, let us take him!
TROUT. We will take him! Oooooh— (Relishing the rhyme.) But, we
mustn’t break him!
FUNKY. We’re done with that game.
TROUT. Nobody told me.
CHEEKY. Now we will have a leader! We will be the wisest in the
Jungle!
TROUT. The wisest!
CHEEKY. And the most envied!
TROUT. The most envied!
CHEEKY. And the longest-armed!
(FUNKY gives her a look.)
TROUT. True.
CHEEKY. Everyone will notice and envy us!
FUNKY. Take me to our leader!
(The MONKEYS approach MOWGLI and carry him away. BALOO sleeps. In shadow or live action: the MONKEYS carry
MOWGLI through the branches of the trees.)
MOWGLI. Hey! What’s going on? Put me down!
FUNKY. You noticed us!
CHEEKY. You noticed!
MOWGLI. Watch out for that branch!
TROUT. Don’t worry!
FUNKY. We’re professionals!
(MOWGLI calls out in bird chirping. The KITES fly in to find BALOO sleeping.)
KITES. Baloo!
BALOO. (Waking up:) What’s happening?
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KITES. Mowgli called out to us. He used our language. He is with
the monkeys, headed toward the sun. Laws of the Jungle: always
help a friend in need.
BALOO. Oh, thank you. Oh, Mowgli! Oh, no!
(The KITES fly away.)
Bagheera! Bagheera, where are you?
BAGHEERA. (Entering:) Always at your service, Baloo.
BALOO. Mowgli has been taken by the monkey-folk.
BAGHEERA. Well, we know they won’t get far. They never accomplish what they set out to do.
BALOO. They have our man-cub!
BAGHEERA. Don’t worry, Baloo—we’ll run and catch them!
BALOO. They will drop him if we follow too close. Oh, they may
have dropped him already, being tired of carrying him! Oh, stupid,
stupid, stupid bear!
(BALOO hits himself in agony.)
BAGHEERA. There, there, Baloo. You have taught him well.
BALOO. I only scolded him! I didn’t tell him what to do! His last
memory will be of old Baloo, sitting on him! Oh, put dead bats on
my head! Roll me with hives with wild, hungry bees and bury me
with hyenas! Banish me from the Pack forever! Stupid, stupid, stupid bear!
(BALOO puts his paws over his ears and rolls back and forth,
moaning.)
BAGHEERA. Baloo. BALOO! Such a short memory for such a big
bear! Such little self-respect! What would the Jungle think if I curled
up like a wounded porcupine?
BALOO. Who cares what the Jungle thinks? Mowgli is dead!
(BALOO hits himself.)
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BAGHEERA. Nonsense, Baloo—he is merely monkeying around
for awhile. He is wise and well-taught by a certain brown bear…
BALOO. Fat, brown, root-digging fool! Stupid, stupid, stupid bear!
BAGHEERA. And he has eyes that make all in the Jungle afraid.
BALOO. (Cheering up a bit:) True.
BAGHEERA. It is true what the elephants say: to each his own fear.
You fear losing Mowgli, and they fear…
BALOO. Nothing! They are not smart enough to fear.
BAGHEERA. There must be someone who can help us.
BALOO. No one can help us! Mowgli is doomed!
BAGHEERA. Baloo, stop being so emotional. We need to think.
What do monkeys fear?
BALOO. (Hitting himself:) He was such a good little man-cub!
BAGHEERA. Kaa! They fear Kaa! She can climb as well as they can.
She steals young monkeys in the night and eats them alive. How
could I have forgotten? The very whisper of her name makes their
wicked tails cold.
BALOO. Why would she help us? She’s not one of the Pack.
BAGHEERA. She is old and cunning, but she is always hungry.
We’ll promise her goats—many goats.
BALOO. Yuck. How about some nice berries instead?
BAGHEERA. You eat berries. Kaa eats goats. Mowgli is missing.
BALOO. Oh. (He hits his head.) Stupid, stupid…
BAGHEERA. (Interrupting:) No time for this! Let’s go to Kaa.
(BALOO nods. They exit as lights go down.)
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Scene 10
(Lights up on KAA, sleeping, as the KITES watch over her. BALOO
and BAGHEERA tiptoe to find her.)
BAGHEERA. (Whispering:) There she is.
KITES. Be careful.
BALOO. (Whispering:) We must be careful, Bagheera.
KITES. She has new skin. She will be quick to strike.
BALOO. (To KAA:) Good hunting!
KITES. She is also a little deaf.
BALOO. (A bit louder; he is a bit scared:) Good hunting!
KITES. Speak up, you old bear!
BALOO. (Shouting now:) Good hunting!
KAA. (Awaking:) Good hunting for us all! Oho, Baloo, what brings
you here? Bagheera, good hunting!
BAGHEERA. Good hunting!
KAA. Hey—did you kids check out my new skin? Pretty classy for
an old broad! What’s for breakfast?
BALOO. Funny you should mention it—we’re just out hunting for
uh, delicious goats. (He is queasy.)
KAA. Eh?
BALOO. HUNTING—FOR—GOATS!
KAA. Mmmm…goats. Well, I’ll come along, then. Back in the day, I
could digest the whole goat, horns and all. Nowadays, I have to be
careful of my jaw. Doesn’t unhinge as easily as it used to. I almost
couldn’t swallow my last catch.
BAGHEERA. Oh, yes. I heard the monkey-folk speaking of it. I do
believe they were laughing at you.
(BAGHEERA nudges BALOO.)
BALOO. Oh, yes—like hyenas.
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KAA. Speak up, you old bear! What did they call the noble Kaa?
BAGHEERA. Old! Ugly!
KAA. Come now, I’ve just molted. My skin is as soft as a baboon’s
bottom!
BALOO. We think you are quite beautiful.
KAA. Oh, those monkeys! Despicable! Unjust! Shameful!
BALOO. The trouble is this, Kaa. The trouble is…
(He is upset and hits himself. He motions to BAGHEERA to finish.)
BAGHEERA. Those long-armed fools have taken away our human!
I bet you didn’t even know we had one.
KAA. Ah, I heard some news of a man-cub that was living with a
wolf-pack, but I did not believe. The Jungle is full of gossip halfheard and badly told.
BALOO. But it’s true! He’s the best man-cub in the Jungle—and
he’s my student. We couldn’t imagine life without him. You see, we
love him.
KAA. Love? Kids, I could tell you some stories about love. What I
wouldn’t give to be a ripe, young snakeling again…slithering…
(She is lost in her reverie for a moment.) I’m sorry, what were we talking about?
BAGHEERA. We need your help, Kaa, because they fear only you.
KAA. They should fear me! I’ve still got a few good years left! Now,
your little friend is not in good hands. What did they call me?
BAGHEERA. Shriveled. As well as other things I mustn’t repeat
aloud.
KAA. Where have they taken him?
BALOO. Toward the sunset. The Kites told me.
KAA. Mind my tail, kids—sometimes it drags a little. Now—let’s
go!
(Lights down.)
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37
Scene 11
(Lights up on MOWGLI and the MONKEYS.)
MOWGLI. Please just let me go back.
FUNKY. Let me go back!
CHEEKY. No, let me go back!
MOWGLI. You know, this copying thing gets old really fast.
FUNKY. I’m getting old!
CHEEKY. We’re all getting old!
TROUT. Let’s play—come on! Come on, Mowgli!
MOWGLI. I’m hungry. Either bring me some food or let me hunt.
FUNKY. Go get him some food!
CHEEKY. No, you!
FUNKY. No, you!
TROUT. I’ll do it! (Other monkeys look at her.) Just kidding!
MOWGLI. Oh, this is hopeless. You can’t decide on anything!
Don’t you know the Laws of the Jungle?
TROUT. Laws! We don’t need no stinkin’ laws!
CHEEKY. Why, we are the only free beings in the Jungle!
MOWGLI. What good is being free when you are hungry and
tired?
CHEEKY. We are free! We are wonderful!
FUNKY. We think so…
TROUT. …so it must be true!
(BALOO, BAGHEERA, and KAA enter and watch the MONKEYS.)
BALOO. (Whispering:) Mowgli! (He starts to hit himself.)
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BAGHEERA. Hold yourself together, Baloo. There’s no time!
MOWGLI. I’m so hungry.
CHEEKY. Me too!
TROUT. I’m hungry, too!
(BALOO crosses to the MONKEYS.)
BALOO. Lookee here! Alone in the forest with only nuts and berries to keep a poor bear company!
MOWGLI. (Whispers excitedly:) Baloo!
BALOO. Mow…stranger! Hello, strangers all! I am distributing
nuts and berries to the good beings of the Jungle. (Whispering to
MOWGLI:) Follow my lead.
(MOWGLI nods.)
FUNKY. I want berries.
CHEEKY. Me too! Me too!
FUNKY. I love berries best!
CHEEKY. No, I do!
TROUT. Yeah, well I can jump really far! (He jumps.)
(The MONKEYS give him a look.)
FUNKY & CHEEKY. What?
MOWGLI. (Whispers:) You have nothing in your paws!
BALOO. Well, to get the berries, which I have hidden in the, uh,
bushes…
(MOWGLI looks to the bushes. BAGHEERA and KAA wave.)
You must, uh, learn this very cool dance. You’ll be all the rage in
your cave…uh, on your branch.
MOWGLI. Ooooh, I want to learn it!
FUNKY. Me too!
CHEEKY. Me three!
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TROUT. Me…uh, seven?
BALOO. Okay, here’s the first move: Jungle Fever.
(BALOO hums “Jungle Fever” and dances. The monkeys imitate
with varying levels of success. The KITES fly in.)
KITES. What’s this? Oh, they look like humans. Fools, all of them!
BALOO. Good. The next one is Jungle Boogie.
(BALOO hums “Jungle Boogie” and dances. Again, the MONKEYS imitate.)
FUNKY. Fun!
CHEEKY. Stylish!
KITES. Oh, I get it. What? It’s a trick!
BALOO. The third part is the most fun of all: Tropical Punch! (As in
Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”:) Sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to
me…
(MOWGLI pretends to punch himself, smiling. TROUT knocks
himself out. CHEEKY and FUNKY love the dance and punch themselves joyfully.)
FUNKY & CHEEKY. (Ad lib:) More dancing! More dancing! We’re
stylish! This is fun!
KITES. This is fun. We should have more entertainment like this. I
find it a bit overwhelming.
BALOO. (Enjoying himself:) No, it’s time for the berries. Oh, berries!
Come out of the bushes, berries!
(KAA and BAGHEERA enter, hissing and howling.)
FUNKY & CHEEKY. (Ad lib:) Kaa! Kaa! Kaa! Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Don’t eat us! Please! Slither away! Slither away!
(The MONKEYS revive TROUT and run offstage.)
BALOO. Go tell the other monkeys that Kaa is here!
KITES. We will! Not us, the monkeys! Oooh, let’s go watch!
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(The KITES fly off.)
MOWGLI. Baloo! Bagheera!
BALOO. Are you hurt? Not that I was worried. Of course I wasn’t
really worried.
MOWGLI. I’m not hurt, just a little hungry. Was it hard to find me?
BALOO. It was nothing, nothing, as long as you are safe!
BAGHEERA. You must thank Kaa.
KAA. So this is your man-cub. His skin is very soft. (To MOWGLI:)
Be careful that I do not mistake you for a monkey some twilight.
MOWGLI. (Bowing to KAA:) We are of one blood, you and I. You
saved my life! My kill will be your kill if you are ever hungry, Kaa.
KAA. Many thanks, Little Brother. And what does such a bold
hunter kill?
MOWGLI. I am not old enough to kill anything. But I drive goats
toward those that can use them. Good hunting to all of you!
BALOO. Well said. A brave heart and a courteous tongue will carry
you far through the Jungle. Now, didn’t I tell you about the monkeys?
MOWGLI. Yeah, I learned something. I never want to see those
crazy monkeys again.
BALOO. And you got that from hanging out with them? Well, what
do you know? I guess an old bear can learn new things.
BAGHEERA. The moon sets. We should travel while we still have
the light to find our way home.
(The four exit as the KITES fly in.)
KITES. Laws of the Jungle: a brave heart and a courteous tongue
are your allies, your best weapons. The Jungle is big and the cub
has big lessons to learn. Good hunting all who care for others, who
learn their lessons, who keep the Jungle Law.
(The KITES settle on a tree branch to keep watch over the CUBS.)
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41
Scene 12
(Lights up on MOWGLI and the wolf CUBS, playing. MOTHER
WOLF, FATHER WOLF and WOLF 1 are working nearby.)
MOWGLI. There! I win!
CUB. Let’s play again.
MOWGLI. Okay, you start this time.
(BAGHEERA enters.)
MOTHER WOLF. Welcome, Bagheera!
FATHER WOLF. Bagheera! May I speak with you?
BAGHEERA. Certainly.
FATHER WOLF. (Pulling BAGHEERA aside:) What’s the news of
Shere Khan?
BAGHEERA. That is why I came to speak to the little one. May I?
FATHER WOLF. Alright.
BAGHEERA. Mowgli, I need to speak with you for a moment.
CUB. But we’re playing!
BAGHEERA. Now.
CUB. Come on, let us play a little longer.
FATHER WOLF. Little ones, this is important.
MOWGLI. (To BAGHEERA:) What is it?
BAGHEERA. Our pack leader grows weaker every day. I fear that
when Akela misses a kill, the Pack will turn against him, and
against us. Who knows what could happen? I fear that Shere Khan
may be let in the Pack.
MOWGLI. What should we do?
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BAGHEERA. You must go down quickly to the huts of the men
and women in the village. Get the Red Flower that grows there, so
that when the time comes you have a stronger friend than even I.
MOWGLI. The Red Flower? Do you mean fire?
BAGHEERA. Shhhhh! We don’t call it that! To each his own fear,
Mowgli, and we fear the Red Flower.
KITES. To each his own fear. Humans fear our power. We fear the
flames.
MOWGLI. I am not afraid of it.
BAGHEERA. I know, little one. But you must be careful.
KITES. If you get too close to the Red Flower, it will burn you. You
must never touch its flames.
MOWGLI. I will get some. I am not afraid.
BAGHEERA. Spoken like a man’s cub! Remember that it grows in
little pots. Go there swiftly and bring one back for your time of
need.
MOWGLI. Are you sure that Shere Khan wants to be in the Pack?
BAGHEERA. Quite sure. And I am certain that if he is let in, he will
quickly try to take over.
(BAGHEERA exits.)
MOWGLI. I have to go to the Village. I’ll be back.
CUB. The village—isn’t it dangerous?
MOWGLI. Not really. (Pause.) I’m not sure.
WOLF 1. Mowgli?
MOWGLI. Yes?
WOLF 1. Do you ever wish you lived with humans in the Village?
KITES. Humans run with their own pack.
MOWGLI. I don’t know—sometimes. Maybe I’ll go to get the Red
Flower and I will like it so much that I’ll stay with them.
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43
WOLF 1. Really?
MOWGLI. I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind living somewhere that I
didn’t have a huge tiger breathing down my neck every minute.
KITES. Go to your own kind.
CUB. I hope you come back. I have never seen the Red Flower.
KITES. Go to your own kind.
(MOWGLI exits, and the wolf CUB runs off.)
(In shadow, MOWGLI travels to the Village.)
KITES. Law of the Village: the Jungle takes, and sometimes the
Jungle restores. The Village was Mowgli’s birthplace, but it was not
his home. As he approached the Village, he heard the strange
sounds of humans.
Scene 13
(MOWGLI enters the village, and sees the fire. He looks around to
see if anyone is watching him. He creeps carefully toward the fire.
MESSUA enters, amused, and watches him. She approaches him.
MESSUA speaks only in gibberish that MOWGLI cannot understand. The lines for MESSUA are written only to help the actress
understand what to communicate to the audience.)
MESSUA. (Gibberish:) Hello, little one. What brings you here?
MOWGLI. Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t speak that…
MESSUA. (Gibberish:) Don’t be afraid, little one. I won’t hurt you.
MOWGLI. I don’t know…
MESSUA. (Gibberish:) You have cuts and bruises all over. Come to
the hut; I’ll take care of you.
MOWGLI. No.
MESSUA. (Gibberish:) Oh, you don’t understand me.
(MESSUA points to several things in the village, saying their names
in gibberish. MOWGLI repeats her, trying to understand.)
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44
MESSUA. (Gibberish:) Wait just a minute—I’ll be right back.
(MOWGLI practices the words he has learned. MESSUA returns
with bread and milk for Mowgli. She gives them to him.)
MESSUA. (Gibberish:) Here—you look hungry.
MOWGLI. Thank you.
(MOWGLI looks at the food as if it is very strange. He eats cautiously.)
MESSUA. (Gibberish:) Go on!
(They eat silently in the moonlight. MESSUA studies MOWGLI.)
(This name should be spoken as written:)
Nathoo? Nathoo!
(She hugs him tightly and cries. Then she runs off to tell the others.)
(Shouting off, in Gibberish. The word “Nathoo” should be spoken as
written:)
My Nathoo has returned! My Nathoo has returned!
(MOWGLI is very frightened. He grabs the pot of fire and runs off
with it.)
(In shadow, MOWGLI returns to the Jungle.)
KITES. The man-cub returns. His Pack needs him. His Pack is in
danger. Shere Khan grows closer…
Scene 14
(Lights up on BAGHEERA, pacing. She looks worried and fearful.
MOWGLI enters, triumphant, holding the fire pot high.)
MOWGLI. I have captured the Red Flower!
BAGHEERA. Well done, Mowgli. And none too soon—Akela has
missed her kill. We need you to stay here.
MOWGLI. I’ll stay.
BAGHEERA. Aren’t you afraid of holding the Red Flower?
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45
MOWGLI. Humans aren’t afraid of it.
BAGHEERA. But wolves are.
MOWGLI. Maybe I’m more of a human than I thought. Bagheera,
there was this woman in the village. She seemed to know me.
BAGHEERA. That will need to wait until later. The Pack is in danger.
MOWGLI. Oh, yeah. Sorry. Never mind.
BAGHEERA. Will you be there at sundown?
MOWGLI. I will.
(BAGHEERA exits as MOWGLI searches for branches. He finds
some and feeds the fire. TABAQUI enters, watching.)
MOWGLI. (Sees TABAQUI:) What is it?
TABAQUI. (Very formal:) The Great Shere Khan requests your presence at Council Rock at sundown. (Casual:) He’d just love to see you
and catch up and shoot the breeze and…
MOWGLI. (Lashes out:) Why—so he can kill me?
TABAQUI. (Mad:) Listen, Underling, don’t kill the messenger!
MOWGLI. No. Thanks for the invitation. I’ll be there. Now go
away!
TABAQUI. (Sane:) I see you have a new pet. (Pause. Mad:) Show it
to me!
MOWGLI. What?
TABAQUI. (Refers to the fire pot. Sane:) Your new pet—the one you
feed the twigs and leaves to.
MOWGLI. (Has an idea:) Oh, that new pet.
TABAQUI. (Sane:) Can I have a little peeky-poo? (Mad:) Please?
MOWGLI. I don’t know…
TABAQUI. You know, I love baby animals. I’m very good with babies and old beasts. Why, I’ve known you since you were this big.
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MOWGLI. Okay, you can see him. But you have to let him nibble
on your paw. It’s the only way he’ll trust you.
(TABAQUI begins to lift the lid.)
No, your paw first.
(TABAQUI cautiously puts his finger in the pot.)
TABAQUI. (Sane:) Here ya go, little one. Wow, that one’s got some
teeth on him. Ouch! Hot, hot, hot! Owwwwwww! (Mad:) Miserable
beast!
(TABAQUI runs off.)
MOWGLI. (Calling off after him:) I’ll bring my new pet to Council
Rock! But first I have to make some plans involving my brothers
and a pack of bulls.
(Lights down.)
Scene 15
(Lights up on animals arriving at Council Rock. SHERE KHAN is
chatting freely with TABAQUI, whose arm is in a leaf sling. BALOO and BAGHEERA stand close, whispering. Other WOLVES
look cautious. MOWGLI sits with the fire pot close to him. AKELA
lies by the side of a rock, looking weak and tired.)
TABAQUI. And then the little beast bit my paw! I mean, the nerve
of such a tiny thing taking such a big bite of Tabaqui! Can you
imagine? Nearly bit the whole thing off!
SHERE KHAN. Dear friends, we are gathered here tonight to review the membership of the Pack.
(BALOO and BAGHEERA nudge MOWGLI to speak.)
MOWGLI. Why does he get to speak first? Tigers are not Free Beings. What does a tiger have to do with our Pack?
SHERE KHAN. The membership is open, isn’t it? Why shouldn’t I
speak?
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47
TABAQUI. Yeah, why shouldn’t he? It’s open, ain’t it? Wide
open…
MOWGLI. Are we all jackals?
TABAQUI. Nope, only me!
MOWGLI. Are we all fools?
TABAQUI. Hey! Watch it!
MOWGLI. The concerns of the Pack are discussed by the Pack
alone.
WOLF 1. Let the tiger speak! Hasn’t he kept our law?
FATHER WOLF. No, Akela is the Leader of our Pack. Let Akela
speak!
WOLF 1. She is dead already.
FATHER WOLF. (Fierce:) Let her speak.
AKELA. (With difficulty:) Free Beings, for many seasons I have led
you to and from the kill, and none of you has been trapped or
maimed. Now I have missed my kill. Your right is to kill me here on
the Council Rock now. I ask you: who comes to make an end of the
Lone Wolf?
(Silence. SHERE KHAN breaks the silence with a roar.)
SHERE KHAN. Bah! What do we need with this toothless fool? She
is doomed to die, anyway! It is the man-cub who has lived too long!
TABAQUI. (Sane:) Yeah, he’s getting on my nerves, too!
SHERE KHAN. Quiet! You! Hideous! Creature!
TABAQUI. Sorry, boss.
SHERE KHAN. Free Beings, the man-cub was my meat from the
first. I am so weary of this charade. He does not belong and he has
troubled the Jungle for thirteen seasons. Give him to me! Just because I am lame in one foot does not mean I won’t have my kill!
Give me the man-cub, or I will hunt here always, and not give you a
single scrap. He is a lowly human, a scrappy woman’s child, and
from the marrow of my bones I hate him!
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FATHER WOLF. The man-cub is grown. Let him go to his own
place.
SHERE KHAN. And turn the humans of the village against us?
How foolish! No, give him to me. He is a man, he does not belong
here and not one of us can look him between the eyes.
AKELA. Mowgli has broken no word of the Law of the Jungle.
SHERE KHAN. No woman’s cub should run with the beings of the
Jungle. Surely you know this Akela—you are no fool. Give him to
me!
AKELA. Shame on you! He is our brother in all but blood!
KITES. Akela, this has gone on for too long. Let him have the boy
and he will leave us alone! We are tired of this old battle.
KITES, WOLVES 1 & 2, TABAQUI. (Ad lib:) He is a man! He does
not belong! He is not one of us!
(MOWGLI is frightened. He stands to speak.)
BALOO. Remember what I taught you. A brave heart and a courteous tongue will carry you far in the Jungle.
MOWGLI. (Addresses WOLVES 1 & 2:) You keep telling me that I
am a man and I do not belong. So you are not my brothers anymore. I will call you beasts as a man should. I have visited my people, and I have brought the Red Flower that you fear.
WOLVES 1 & 2, SHERE KHAN. No!
TABAQUI. (Aside:) I told you it wasn’t a pet!
MOWGLI. Good! I see that you are beasts! I cannot live here anymore! I’m going to live with my people—if they are my own. The
Jungle is closed to me now.
(SHERE KHAN is cowering in fear.)
And you! Up, dog! Up, when a man speaks, or I will set your coat
ablaze!
(SHERE KHAN reluctantly arises.)
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49
Now you will fear me as I have long feared you! If you stir even a
whisker, I will put the Red Flower down your gullet! Listen well.
Akela goes free to live as she pleases. Understood?
(SHERE KHAN nods.)
(To the WOLVES and TABAQUI:)
Go now. Shere Khan and I have an old score to settle.
BALOO. (Aside to MOWGLI:) A brave heart is your best weapon.
(The WOLVES and TABAQUI whimper away.)
TABAQUI. (Ad lib chattering as they exit:) Aloha, everyone. Good
luck, boss.
MOWGLI. My heart is ready.
SHERE KHAN. Mowgli, it’s just so delightful to see you.
MOWGLI. The feeling isn’t mutual. But I’ve made a promise to my
Pack. I have promised them your coat, and I’m here to collect it.
SHERE KHAN. My coat, eh? I think I will need it this winter.
MOWGLI. Not if it’s up to me.
SHERE KHAN. If they had only let me take you as a baby. It would
have been so much easier for both of us. And babies are so tasty.
Their little bones are so soft and chewy.
MOWGLI. You couldn’t have me then and you can’t have me now.
SHERE KHAN. Oh, can’t I? Perhaps you’ve never seen your reflection, Little Mouse, but I’m bigger than you are.
MOWGLI. You may be bigger than me, but I have an advantage.
SHERE KHAN. Oh, really? What’s that?
MOWGLI. Friends. Most of the Jungle is on my side. Your only
friend is a mad jackal!
SHERE KHAN. Let me introduce you to my friends: teeth and
claws. My friends could rip your friends to shreds.
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MOWGLI. That may be so, but I have another advantage. I am not
afraid of you.
SHERE KHAN. You pathetic, hairless, woman’s child! You think I
am afraid of you?
MOWGLI. I know you are. If you are not afraid, then look at me—
look me in the eyes.
SHERE KHAN. I will rip you apart! (SHERE KHAN lunges and locks
eyes with MOWGLI. SHERE KHAN quickly looks away.) There is
more than one way to skin a cub.
(SHERE KHAN moves behind MOWGLI and lunges at him,
hurting his own bad foot.)
MOWGLI. Just look me in the eyes, Shere Khan. If you can hold my
gaze, you have won the battle. But you can’t, can you? Because you
are afraid!
SHERE KHAN. I’ll rip your eyes from their sockets.
MOWGLI. Look me in the eyes, coward.
(SHERE KHAN meets MOWGLI’s gaze. For a moment, they stare
at one another.)
You can see it, can’t you? Look deep and you’ll see what I’m capable of. If you take my life, you’ll have to deal with the anger of the
Jungle and the Village!
SHERE KHAN. You sorcerer! You jungle brat! I am not afraid of
you.
MOWGLI. Look at me, Shere Khan! If you look hard enough, you’ll
see your own fear reflected back.
SHERE KHAN. Hideous, two-legged beast!
MOWGLI. I brought the Red Flower—how foolish of me! I don’t
even need it. You cowards are your own worst enemies.
SHERE KHAN. I don’t know what kind of spell you’ve cast on me,
but you won’t get away with it! I’ll be back with armies of beasts.
Mark my words, Scrawny Woman’s Cub—you will be mine!
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51
MOWGLI. Now get out of here, monster. And I never, ever want to
see your face near the Pack again.
(MOWGLI growls.)
SHERE KHAN. You haven’t seen the end of me.
(SHERE KHAN storms out, limping in pain.)
MOWGLI. Oh, yes I have. And I have a pack of bulls to prove it.
(He gives a cry of victory.)
(Offstage or in shadow: the bulls trample SHERE KHAN. The
sound of drumming, running, and SHERE KHAN’s cry.)
Scene 16
(Lights up on the WOLVES at Council Rock. MOWGLI enters with
Shere Khan’s hide around his shoulders.)
KITES. Laws of the Jungle: you can kill anything you’re strong
enough to kill.
MOWGLI. Am I too late for the meeting?
FATHER WOLF. Mowgli!
MOWGLI. I come with the hide of Shere Khan to keep my word.
He won’t bother you any more.
MOTHER WOLF. Didn’t I tell you? Didn’t I tell you on the day you
were hunting for your life, Little One? I said the hunter would be
the hunted. It is well done!
BAGHEERA. (Offstage:) Little Brother, it is well done.
MOWGLI. Bagheera!
(BAGHEERA enters.)
BAGHEERA. Little one! You have succeeded.
MOWGLI. Look well, Wolves! Have I kept my word? Have I?
ALL WOLVES. Yes!
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THIS PLAY IS NOT OVER!
In order to protect our associated authors against copyright
infringement, we cannot currently present full electronic
scripts.
To purchase books with the full text, and to apply for
performance rights, click ORDER or go back to:
www.playscripts.com