Mowgli always obeyed this law. And he grew strong. He was a happy boy because he did not know that he was learning any lessons. He had nothing in the world to think of except finding things to eat. Mother Wolf told him once or twice that Shere Khan was not a creature to be trusted, and that some day he must kill Shere Khan. A young wolf would have remembered that advice every hour, but Mowgli forgot it because he was only a boy - although he would have called himself a wolf if he had been able to speak any human language.

He often saw Shere Khan in the jungle. Akela was becoming older and weaker, and now the lame tiger had made friends with the younger wolves of the Pack, who followed him for bits of food from the animals he killed. Akela would never have allowed them to do this if he had been strong enough to rule the pack properly.

Shere Khan would praise them and say that he was surprised such fine young hunters were led by a dying wolf and a man's cub. "They tell me," Shere Khan would say, "that at Council you don't dare look him between the eyes." And the young wolves would growl and their hair would stand up.

Bagheera, who had eyes and ears everywhere, knew something of this. Once or twice he told Mowgli very clearly that Shere Khan would kill him some day. Mowgli laughed and answered: "I have the Pack and I have you; and Baloo, though he is so lazy, might strike once or twice to help me. Why should I be afraid?"