Page 119 - Viva Real English 4 : Ebook

16 A Wolf’s Cub

‘Is that a man’s cub?’ said Mother Wolf. ‘I have never seen one. Bring it here.’

A Wolf used to moving his own cubs can mouth an egg without breaking it. Though
Father Wolf’s jaws closed right on the child’s back, not a tooth even scratched the

skin as he laid it down among the cubs.

‘How little! How naked, and – how bold!’ said Mother Wolf softly. The baby was
pushing his way between the cubs to get close to the warm hide. ‘Ahai! He is taking
his meal with the others. And so this is a man’s cub. Now, was there ever a wolf
that had a man’s cub among her children?’

‘I have heard now and again of such a thing, but never in our Pack,’ said Father
Wolf. ‘He is altogether without hair, and I could kill him with a touch of my foot.
But see, he looks up and is not afraid.’

The moonlight was blocked out of the mouth of the cave. Shere Khan’s great
square head and shoulders were thrust into the entrance. Tabaqui, behind him,
was squeaking: ‘My lord, my lord, it went in here!’

‘What business has Shere Khan in this cave?,’ asked Father Wolf. His eyes were
very angry.

mouth (verb) : (here) hold in the mouth pack : group of wolves

hide (noun) : (here) an animal’s skin squeaking : speaking in a nervous
high voice
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