Mowgli stopped and listened, and he could hear that Akela did not kill the deer. ‘So the time has come already,’ he thought, and hurried to the village. He watched and waited, and soon he saw a child who was carrying a fire-pot. Mowgli jumped up, took the pot from him, and quickly ran away, back to the jungle. All that day he kept his fire alive with leaves and pieces of wood.ent he arrived,
In the evening Tabaqui came and told him that the wolves wanted him at the meeting. Mowgli laughed, and went. When he arrived, he saw that Akela’s place. Shere Khan was there, too, with all the fire-pot between his legs. Bagheera lay beside him.
Shere Khan began to speak and Mowgli jumped up.
‘Free People, is Shere Khan your leader? Does a tiger belong in the Wolf-Pack?’
‘There is no wolf on the rock,’ began Shere Khan, but the other wolves said, ‘Let Akela speak.’
Akela looked up, old and tired. ‘Free people, I have been your leader for many years. In all that time no wolf has died in the hunt. But this time I did not kill my deer. The Law of the Jungle says that you must come one by one.’
No one spoke. Akela was old, but nobody wanted to fight Akela alone.
Then Shere Khan spoke. Bah! This old wolf is not important. He will die soon. It is the man-cub who has lived too long. Give him to me.’
‘A man! A man!’ cried most of the younger wolves angrily. ‘A man does not belong in the
Wolf-pack.’
Mowgli is our brother,’ said Akela. ‘He has done nothing wrong. Let him go to his own place.’
‘He is a man,’ cried Shere Khan and most of the wolves.
Mowgli stood up, the fire –pot I his hands. He was very angry, and very sad.
‘You have said many times that I am a man. I was your brother, but I will not call you my brothers again. I will decide on my life or my death, not you. I am a man, and to show you, I have brought the Red Flower with me.’
He dropped the fire-pot on the ground and some of the fire fell out. The wolves were very afraid and moved back. Mowgli held a long piece of wood in the fire and the end began to burn brightly.
‘You are the leader now,’ said Bagheera softly. ‘Help Akela. He was always your friend.’