The Jungle Books can be regarded as classic stories told by an adult to children. But they also constitute a complex literary work of art in which the whole of Kipling's philosophy of life is expressed in miniature. They are best known for the `Mowgli' stories; the tale of a baby abandoned and brought up by wolves, educated in the ways and secrets of the jungle by Kaa the python, Baloo the bear, and Bagheera the black panther.

　　 The stories, a mixture of fantasy, myth, and magic, are underpinned by Kipling's abiding preoccupation with the theme of self-discovery, and the nature of the `Law'. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

　　 From the moment a little naked cub wanders into the lair of Father Wolf and Mother Wolf to the moment when the master of the jungle returns to his own people, Mowgli's adventures comprise a fable of human life. Along with these stories are other animal tales