Mowgli stood very still and listened to the fight around Bagheera. For the first time ever, the big panther was fighting for his life. Then Mowgli remembered something. There was a big tank of water near one of the buildings.
‘Go to the tank, Bagneera! Get to the water!’
Bagheera heard and he knew that Mowgli was safe. Suddenly he felt stronger and he pulled himself slowly to the tank, fighting against the crowds of monkeys.
Then Baloo came running I from the jungle, shouting, ‘Bagheera, I am here!’ At once the monkeys jumped on him, and the bear stared to hit them with his great strong arms. Mowgli heard a splash when Bagheera jumped into the tank. The monkeys were afraid of water and could not follow him there. But they stood all round the sides, ready to jump on him if he tried to get out and help Baloo.
And where was Kaa all this time? It was a hard climb up to the west wall, and Kaa moved carefully over the stones. Now he came down the hill very quickly, hungry and wanting to kill. Kaa was ten metres long, heavy and strong. He went silently into the crowd of monkeys around Baloo, and he did not need to hit twice.
When they are very young, monkeys are told about Kaa, the silent thief who can kill the strongest monkey. All monkeys are afraid of Kaa. Now they ran, with shouts of ‘It’s Kaa! Run! Run!’
Then Kaa opened his mouth for the first time and spoke one long hissing word. The monkeys were suddenly silent and still, and nothing moved in the city.
Bagheera pulled himself out of tank. ‘Get the man-cub out and let us go,’ he said. ‘I can’t fight any more. And the monkeys will attack us again.’