"I went to where the men live. I am ready. Look!" Mowgli showed Bagheera the pot with the fire in it.

"Good!" said Bagheera. "I have seen men put a dry branch into the Red Flower, and soon the Red Flower grew on the branch. Doesn't it make you scared?"

Mowgli answered "No. Why should I be scared? I remember I used to lie next to the Red Flower, and it was lovely and warm. That was before I was a wolf. Maybe it was a dream." That day Mowgli sat in the cave. He was looking after his fire and pushing dry branches into it to see the red flower grow. He found a branch that he liked, and he kept it. That evening Tabaqui came told him that he had to go to the Council Rock. He was not very polite, but Mowgli laughed until Tabaqui ran away. Then Mowgli went to the Council, still laughing.

At the council, Akela the Lone Wolf was lying next to his rock. This meant that he was not the leader any more. Shere Khan and the wolves who followed him were walking about. All the other wolves were being nice to them, because they were rather scared. Bagheera stayed close to Mowgli, and the pot with the fire in it was between Mowgli's knees. When everyone was there, Shere Khan started to speak. Akela would never have allowed him to do that in the days when he was still strong.