5 Teachings Of The Jungle Book For Children
The famous work The Jungle Book , written by Rudyard Kipling, is one of the references in terms of children’s literature. It is a collection of short stories, each with an important moral, which were later taken to the movies.
Starring children and talking animals, these stories provide fun and thoughtfulness in just a few pages.
Kipling was English, but he was born in Bombay, India, in 1865. This is probably one of the main reasons why the protagonists of the book, in addition to Mowgli, the boy, are characteristic animals of the jungle.
Three film versions of this play were produced. The first was released in 1942. The second, produced by Walt Disney, in 1967. The third and last, also from Disney and with totally superior technology, was released in April 2016.
In principle, the book was not aimed only at children, so the films contain some changes in terms of the main story.
Plot summary
Although The Jungle Book presents a collection of short stories, there is a plot that links the first stories . A married couple is attacked by Shere Khan, a Bengal tiger who will be the villain throughout the book.
When fleeing, they lose their baby, who is later rescued and raised by a pack of wolves. Raksha, the mother wolf, baptizes him Mowgli (‘frog’), since he has no hair.
The Council of the Rock, the “governing body” of the pack, demanded that the child’s adoptive parents that two members who were not wolves intercede for him to accept him as a member.
It is at this moment when Baloo, a bear that would become one of his main companions, and Bagheera, a panther, appear.
As he grows, the animals teach Mowgli the law of the jungle, which includes the great teachings of the book.
Later, the boy leaves the pack to go live in a nearby town, due to the notable differences with the rest of the wolves.
He meets his adoptive brother Nathoo, who with the buffalo he raised ended up being decisive in killing Shere Khan, the premise that Mowgli inherited from his mother.
Seeing the children with the wolves, Buldeo, the village hunter, raised the population against Mowgli, telling everyone that he was a werewolf. It is there when the boy leaves the place again, after his adoptive mother Massua was also injured.
At night, in a celebratory ritual, the wolves ask Mowgli to rejoin the pack, but he rejects them. From then on, he would always start hunting with Akela and his foster brothers, the sons of Raksha.
Other stories in The Jungle Book
With the completion of Mowgli’s story, the first eight stories of the play end. This is the part that appears in the movie The Jungle Book . Later, new characters appear, such as the Kotick white seal or the Rikki-Tikki-Tavi mongoose.
They will live their own adventures, totally independent of the previous story. However, they will also provide valuable lessons for readers of these classic tales.
5 teachings of The Jungle Book
- Respect for nature: the story shows man as one more member of a community that includes animals and the environment. Caring for the planet, presented in the book as a home, provider of food and shelter, is an essential value that the author transmits to young readers.
- The royal family are those who love us: although the separation from his parents was forced and almost ended in tragedy, Mowgli was raised by beings that had nothing to do with his lineage. Later, he is adopted by a human family that also provides him with love. Two examples of a deep act of affection such as adoption.
- Take a good look at who you trust: in moments of confusion and weakness, Mowgli is tempted by the serpent Kaa to be his friend. However, the child does not fall into his trap, since he knows that his intentions are not exactly the best.
- Friends Will Always Be – Throughout the story, Mowgli faces different threats, rejections, and challenges. But there is something that remains unchanged: Baloo and Bagheera, his friends from the beginning of their adventures in the jungle. An extremely redeemable loyalty message for the little ones.
- Look for the most vital: as Baloo says in his catchy song, we should not go in search only of the material. There is also the essential, that for which it is worth living. The bear already said it: do not abuse the work, many delicious fruits have thorns on the outside.
If you read The Jungle Book or watch one of its films, you will surely find another moral to pass on and discuss with your children. This story is full of learning moments, so it is highly recommended for the little ones!
