雙語(yǔ)·叢林故事 叢林法規(guī)

The Law of the Jungle

Just to give you an idea of the immense variety of the Jungle Law, I have translated into verse (Baloo always recited them in a sort of singsong) a few of the laws that apply to the wolves. There are, of course, hundreds and hundreds more, but these will do for specimens of the simpler rulings.

Now this is the Law of the Jungle—as old and as true as

　　the sky;

And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf

　　that shall break it must die.

As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth

　　forward and back—

For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength

　　of the Wolf is the Pack.

Wash daily from nose-tip to tail-tip; drink deeply, but

　　never too deep;

And remember the night is for hunting, and forget not

　　the day is for sleep.

The jackal may follow the Tiger, but, Cub, when thy

　　whiskers are grown,

Remember the Wolf is a hunter—go forth and get food

　　of thine own.

Keep peace with the Lords of the Jungle—the Tiger, the

　　Panther, the Bear;

And trouble not Hathi the Silent, and mock not the Boar

　　in his lair.

When Pack meets with Pack in the Jungle, and neither

　　will go from the trail,

Lie down till the leaders have spoken—it may be fair

　　words shall prevail.

When ye fight with a Wolf of the Pack, ye must

　　fight him alone and afar,

Lest others take part in the quarrel, and the Pack be

　　diminished by war.

The Lair of the Wolf is his refuge, and where he has

　　made him his home,

Not even the Head Wolf may enter, not even the Council

　　may come.

The Lair of the Wolf is his refuge, but where he has

　　digged it too plain,

The Council shall send him a message, and so he shall

　　change it again.

If ye kill before midnight, be silent, and wake not the

　　woods with your bay,

Lest ye frighten the deer from the crops, and the brothers

　　go empty away.

Ye may kill for yourselves, and your mates, and your cubs

　　as they need, and ye can;

But kill not for pleasure of killing, and seven times never

　　kill Man.

If ye plunder his Kill from a weaker, devour not all in

　　thy pride;

Pack-Right is the right of the meanest; so leave him the

　　head and the hide.

The Kill of the Pack is the meat of the Pack. Ye must

　　eat where it lies;

And no one may carry away of that meat to his lair, or

　　he dies.

The Kill of the Wolf is the meat of the Wolf. He may

　　do what he will,

But, till he has given permission, the Pack may not eat

　　of that Kill.

Cub-Right is the right of the Yearling. From all of his

　　Pack he may claim

Full-gorge when the killer has eaten; and none may

　　refuse him the same.

Lair-Right is the right of the Mother. From all of her

　　year she may claim

One haunch of each kill for her litter, and none may

　　deny her the same.

Cave-Right is the right of the Father—to hunt by himself

　　for his own.

He is freed of all calls to the Pack; he is judged by the

　　Council alone.

Because of his age and his cunning, because of his gripe

　　and his paw,

In all that the Law leaveth open, the word of the Head

　　Wolf is Law.

Now these are the Laws of the Jungle, and many and

　　mighty are they;

But the head and the hoof of the Law and the haunch

　　and the hump is—Obey!