"Good!" said Mowgli. He looked around slowly. "I see that you are dogs. Now I am going to leave you and go to my own people. The jungle is closed for me. I have to forget your talk and forget your friendship. But I will be kinder than you are. I was your brother, or almost your brother. So I promise that when I am a man I will not bring men to kill you in the same way that you have tried to kill me." Mowgli kicked the fire with his foot. "There shall be no war in the Pack. But there is one thing which I have to do before I go." He walked quickly toward Shere Khan. The tiger was sitting and looking stupidly at the fire. Mowgli lifted the tiger's head by his chin. Bagheera followed to make sure nothing went wrong. "Get up, dog!" Mowgli said to Shere Khan. "Get up, when a man speaks to you, or I will burn you!"

Shere Khan's ears lay flat back on his head, and he shut his eyes, because the burning branch was very near to him.

"This cow-killer said he would kill me because he did not kill me when I was young. This is how we men beat dogs! You move even a little bit, Shere Khan, and I will push the Red Flower down your throat!" Mowgli beat Shere Khan over the head with the branch, and the tiger made noises like a frightened kitten.

"Pah! You half-burned jungle cat - you can go now! But remember that next time I come to the Council Rock, I will come as a man, wearing Shere Khan's skin on my head. And also you must let Akela go free. He can live any way he wants to. You will not kill him, because I don't want you to."