The Jungle Book - - play script

ACT ONE

Lights up on the jungle at night. A burst of music and frantic clattering rhythms. Atmosphere of panic. Human figures dash through the shadows. Frightened voices all around.

Tiger! Tiger!

Run for your lives!

Tiger?!

Back to the village!

Come on!

Hurry!

Sound of a tiger growling. Villagers exit. Messua is left alone, confused and terrified. She doesn’t know which way to go and finally runs off.

Lights cross fade to a different area of the set where two wolves peer from the entrance to their den.

Where are the cubs?

Sleeping.

You’re sure?

They’re safe.

Sound of growling.

Listen! … Down below in the thicket.

More growling.

Shere Khan!

What right has Shere Khan to come here! These are the hunting grounds of the wolf pack. All the jungle knows that.

Listen to the din he makes. He’ll frighten every head of game for miles!

Perhaps it’s cattle he’s after.

Hush! … It’s neither cattle nor game Shere Khan hunts tonight… but man.

Sound of growling. Lights cross fade back to the jungle. Shere Khan appears, moving slowly and stealthily.

Music slows.

Before the peacock flutters
Before the monkeys cry
Through the jungle softly
Flits a shadow and a sigh
A whisper spreads and widens
The sweat is on your brow
Who treads the path behind you?
Who is following you now?

It is fear, little hunter
Treading softly through the night
It is fear, little hunter
That follows you tonight

Music continues. Shere Khan disappears into the shadows as Messua re-enters clutching her baby. She glances around anxiously, not knowing which path is safe.

Suddenly Shere Khan leaps from the darkness. She tries to run but he easily cuts her off. She backs away but realises she's trapped. He stalks her, taking his time, relishing the power he has over her.

Inside your heart is pounding
Your knees are feeling weak
Your palms are cold and clammy
The blood has left your cheek

He disappears for a moment. Messua seizes the opportunity to hide her baby in the undergrowth.

There’s a breathing close behind you
A rustling of leaves
Who’s lurking in the bushes?
Who’s hiding in the trees?

Shere Khan re-appears. Messua moves away drawing him with her. He starts to move in for the kill.

It is fear, little hunter
Treading softly through the night
It is fear, little hunter
That follows you tonight.

Just as he’s about to strike, the other villagers return brandishing burning torches. They grab Messua and threaten Shere Khan with the fire. Ignorant of the danger, Shere Khan advances on them. They back away. Music and rhythms build. Shere Khan pounces at them and burns his paw in the flame. He screams in pain, backs off.

Messua tries to retrieve her baby. The others pull her back.

Come! Quickly!

Back to the village!

Hurry!

My baby! I have to get my baby!

It’s no good!

It’s too late!

No! No! I can’t leave him!

You’ll be killed!

They pull her back.

Nathoo! … Let me go! … Nathoo!

There’s nothing you can do!

You’ll be torn to pieces!

We have to go!

Nathoo!… Nathoo, I’ll come back! I’ll come back for you! I’ll find you, Nathoo! I promise I’ll find you!… Nathoo!!

The villagers drag her off stage. Shere Khan nurses his burnt paw, groaning in pain. Then he remembers the baby and begins to search around in the undergrowth. He fails to find it. He exits growling his frustration. Lights cross fade to the two wolves in their den.

The fool has lost his prey. Listen to his yells.

He’s burnt his paws alright. That’ll teach him to hunt man. Perhaps now he’ll leave us wolves in peace.

The sound of a baby crying.

Listen! … Do you hear?

Over there.

They venture out and find the baby. They begin to sniff at him.

What is it? … I’ve never seen such a strange looking thing.

Man… It’s a man cub.

A man cub? … I’ve never seen one before. How small he is… But how bold!

He has no fur. None at all.

Like a tiny frog.

I could kill him with one touch of my foot. But see, he’s not afraid.

They play with him.

Look how he clings to me… like I were his mother.

The sound of growling.

Shere Khan! … Quick!

Raksha places the baby behind her. They both take up defensive posture. Shere Khan enters.

Shere Khan does us great honour. What does the Prince of Tigers seek?

There is a man cub around here. It belongs to me. (Sound of baby whimpering.)
So you have it… Give the man cub to me.

Wolves take their orders from the leader of the pack – not from tigers.

What talk is this? Am I to stand nosing in your dog’s door for what is mine? It is I, Shere Khan, who speaks!

And it is I, Raksha, who answer! No harm will come to this man cub. He’s mine!

Raksha…

I mean what I say. He’ll live here with us as one of my cubs! Now get out of here, burned beast of the jungle! Be gone!

What madness is this? A wolf who threatens a tiger?

Two wolves, hunter of man.

Shere Khan turns on him. Father wolf backs away.

And twenty more the moment we call on the pack!

Shere Khan raises his arm to strike Father wolf. Raksha howls. The howl is immediately answered by a dozen others.

Shere Khan thinks better of it. Lowers his arm.

Every dog can bark in its own yard. We’ll see what the wolf pack has to say about this adopting of man cubs.

Shere Khan exits.

Raksha. What are you thinking of? How can we bring up a man cub?

The same way we bring up our own.

It’s not for us to decide. Shere Khan’s right. New cubs have to be approved by the pack. That’s the law of the jungle.

Then I’ll take him to the Council Rock and show him to Akela.

Think what you’re doing, Raksha. Look at him. He’s not a wolf. He’s nothing like us. He never will be.

He’s alone and hungry. He needs a mother.

Shere Khan doesn’t like losing. I warn you – he’ll be back for this man cub.

Let him. The day will come when this little man cub will hunt Shere Khan… But for now, he’s one of mine.

Only if Akela agrees. The leader of the pack is the one who must decide.

He’s staying here!

Father wolf exits. Music in to underscore as Raksha examines her new cub.

So, little frog, you’re one of the man pack? Yet look at you – so gentle and tame.
Sleep, little man cub, you’re safe with me. Not even the mighty Shere Khan will harm you here.

Into song. A lullaby as she cradles the baby.

Is this a man cub lying here?
Child of the human hunters we fear?
Naked and lost in the night
He shows no fear as he clings on tight
From nowhere you appear
A little frog who knows no fear
Mowgli
That shall be your name.
Mowgli
Mowgli
Sleep little man cub, child of the pack.
Safe from the tiger who follows your track.
Look well, O Wolves, on this child of man
The day will dawn when he’ll hunt Shere Khan.
From nowhere you appear
A little frog who knows no fear
Mowgli
That shall be your name.
Mowgli
Mowgli

Song ends. Lights fade. Music changes and links into next scene.

Lights up on Akela at the council rock. From all around, we hear the growling of wolves. The whole pack is gathered.

Wolves of the Seeonee wolf pack! Look...