The Jungle book

"Or for your promises?" said Bagheera, his white teeth showing under his lip. "You really are the Free People!"

"No man's cub can run with the people of the jungle," howled Shere Khan. "Give him to me!"

"He is our brother in everything but his blood," Akela said, "and you want to kill him here! I have lived too long. Some of you kill cattle. I have heard that other wolves, taught by Shere Khan, go when the night is dark and snatch children from the doorsteps of their houses. Therefore I know you are cowards, and I know that I am speaking to cowards. It is certain that I must die, and my life is worthless. If it was not I would offer my life in the man-cub's place. But the Honour of the Pack is something that you have forgotten because you are without a leader. Now I promise that if you let the man-cub go, then when my time comes to die, I will not fight you. I will die without fighting. That will save the Pack at least three lives. I cannot do more; but I can save you the shame of killing a brother. A brother who has done nothing wrong - a brother spoken for and bought into the Pack according to the Law of the Jungle."

"He is a man - a man - a man!" shouted the Pack. And most of the wolves began to gather round Shere Khan, whose tail was beginning to switch.

"Now the business is up to you," said Bagheera to Mowgli. "We can do no more. Now we have to fight."

Vocabulary:

Howl: The sound that wolves make at the moon
But: Here it means 'except'
Snatch: Steal quickly
Doorstep: The step before the front door
Coward: Somebody who is not brave
Worthless: With no value
Least: This number or maybe more
Switch: Go quickly from side to side
Up to you: You must decide what to do