Page 120 - Viva Real English 4 : Ebook

‘My quarry. A man’s cub went this way,’ said Shere Khan. ‘Its parents have run off.

Give it to me.’

Shere Khan had jumped at a woodcutter’s campfire, as Father Wolf had said, and
was furious from the pain of his burnt feet. But Father Wolf knew that the mouth
of the cave was too narrow for a tiger to come in by. Shere Khan’s shoulders and
forepaws were cramped at the small mouth of the cave.

‘The Wolves are a free people,’ said Father Wolf. ‘They take orders from the Head
of the Pack, and not from any striped cattle-killers like you. The man’s cub is ours.’

‘I don’t care. Am I to stand nosing into your dog’s den for my fair dues? It is I, Shere

Khan, who speak!’

The tiger’s roar filled the cave with thunder. Mother Wolf shook herself clear of
the cubs and sprang forward. Her eyes, like two green moons in the darkness
faced the blazing eyes of Shere Khan.

‘And it is I, Raksha, who answers. The man’s cub is mine! He will not be killed. He
will live to run with the Pack and to hunt with the Pack; and in the end, look you –
frog-eater – fish-killer – he will hunt you! Now get away, lame beast!’

Father Wolf looked on amazed. Shere Khan might have faced Father Wolf, but he

could not stand up against Mother Wolf. He knew that she could easily attack him
from inside the narrow cave. So he backed out of the cave mouth growling, and
when he got out he shouted: ‘Each dog barks in his own yard! We will see what
your Pack will say to raising of man-cubs. The cub is mine, and he will come to my
teeth in the end, O bush-tailed thieves!’

Father Wolf said to Mother gravely: ‘Shere Khan speaks this much truth. The cub
must be shown to the Pack. Will you still keep him?’

‘Keep him!’ Mother gasped. ‘He came naked, by night, alone and very hungry; yet
he was not afraid! Look, he has pushed one of my babes to one side already. Keep

him? Surely I will keep him. Lie still, little frog. O you Mowgli – I will call you
Mowgli the Frog – The time will come when you will hunt Shere Khan as he has
hunted you.’

quarry : prey growling : making a low sound in the

cramped : not having enough space throat as a sign of anger
nosing : searching with head forward gravely : in a serious and sad way

dues : something that belongs to
someone by right
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