Mowgli, the man-cub, his jungle companions, Baloo, Bagheera and Kaa, and his adversary, Shere Khan, are characters whose stories have captivated generations of readers. In Kipling's tales, part childhood adventure, part animal fable, and set in the heyday of the British Empire, we follow the abandoned Mowgli as he finds his way through the magical jungle world. Also in this collection are stories of the mongoose, Rikki-tikki-tavi, the white fur seal, Kotick, the young elephant herder, Toomai, and a tale of animals in the service of the military. Kipling later compiled another set of short stories titled The Second Jungle Book.