The Jungle book

Mowgli never broke this law. He grew up and he became strong. He was a happy boy because he did not know that he was learning anything. He did not have anything to think about except finding things to eat. Mother Wolf reminded him that Shere Khan was his enemy, and she told him that one day he must kill Shere Khan. A young wolf would have remembered that all the time, but Mowgli forgot it. He was not a wolf, he was a boy - although he would have called himself a wolf if anybody asked him.

He often saw Shere Khan in the jungle. Akela was older and weaker, and Shere Khan had made friends with the younger wolves of the Pack. He used to give them bits of food from the animals he killed. Akela wanted to stop the tiger from doing this, but he was too old and weak, and the young wolves did not listen to him. Shere Khan told the young wolves that they were fine young hunters. He also said that he did not understand why the young wolves' leaders were a dying wolf and a man's cub. "They tell me," Shere Khan said, "that nobody is brave enough to look at the man's cub between his eyes." And the young wolves growled and their hair stood up.

Bagheera, who saw and heard most things, knew what Shere Khan was doing. So he told Mowgli that Shere Khan still wanted to kill him. Mowgli laughed and answered: "I have the Pack and I have you; and Baloo, though he is so lazy, might fight to help me. Why should I be afraid?"