Welcome to ABC Story Sisters, a storytime podcast for kids and kids at heart.
I'm your host, Alexa, here with my sisters Bristol and Charlotte.
Say hi, girls.
Hi!
Each episode will bring you a new chapter from a classic children's book.
And this story is extra special.
Because it's our daddy's favorite, the Jungle Book.
Bristol, do you remember where our story left off?
Bagheera the panther found a baby all alone in the jungle.
And she took her to live with the wolf family.
And today's story picks up 10 years later.
So how old does that make our baby woman cub now?
Almost 10.
Hey, I'm almost 10 years old.
That's right, which is why you make the perfect woman cub.
Yes.
Are we ready to find out what happens next, girls?
Yes.
Chapter 2, A Close Call.
Ten years since the wolf family adopted the cub had passed and she had grown up as strong and as sturdy as her wolf brothers and sisters.
The wolf mother had named her Mogli, which means little frog.
That was because, like a little frog, she could never stay still.
All day long.
Mowgli would run and play like the rest of the cubs, as fleet and sure-footed as any of them.
Time out.
What's up, Baby Bee?
I heard a new word, Alexa.
Oh, really?
Which one?
Good job listening for new vocabulary, Bristol.
How do you think we find out what this new word means, Charlotte?
Can we use our context clues?
That's a great idea.
Can you remind our readers what context clues are?
Context clues are kind of like solving a mystery while reading.
If you don't know what a word means, you can look for clues in the sentence to help you make a good guess.
That's called an inference.
Exactly.
Charlotte, can you reread the sentence that uses the word fleet?
All day long Mowgli would run and play with the rest of the cubs as fleet and shore-footed as any of them.
Good job!
Now, Baby B, which word in that sentence might give us a clue to what the word fleet means?
Um...
Bingo!
The dictionary definition of the word fleet is an adjective or a describing word.
That means fast and nimble.
So fleet means fast.
Exactly.
Way to use your context clues.
But I thought the word fleet meant a group of something like cars or boats.
Well, you're right too, Squirt.
Fleet is a homonym.
That means the same word can have two different meanings.
Fleet can be a noun that means a group of vehicles or an adjective that means fast.
I get it now.
Me too.
Great.
Then let's get back to our story and find out what happens next.
Mowgli loved her family, and no one else, neither man nor beast, was ever happier in the jungle.
She grew up under a distant, watchful eye of Bagheera the panther, who had found her as a baby and held a special place in her heart for the cub.
The panther was never far away, in case the cub should ever need her help again.
One day, news spread through Mowgli's part of the jungle that Shere Khan the Tiger was back after a long absence.
The wolves had a meeting about it on Council Rock.
Even Bagheera was there, sitting on the limb of a nearby tree.
The leader of the pack reminded the others of the terrible danger the tiger presented.
When Shere Khan hears there is a woman cub here, she will surely kill her and all who protected her.
The other wolves nodded their heads in agreement.
Then it settled.
For the safety of the pack, the woman cub must go.
There was another chorus of agreement until Rama, the wolf father, spoke up.
But the woman cub, why, she's like my own daughter.
The girl cannot survive alone in the jungle, he protested.
At that moment Bagheera, who had been listening to all of this from her perch in the tree, lightly stepped down.
Perhaps I could be of help, she announced.
You, Bagheera?
How? asked Rama.
I know a nearby man village where she'll be safe, answered Bagheera.
Mowgli and I have taken many walks in the jungle together, so I'm sure she'll go with me.
After much discussion amongst the crowd, the father wolf finally offered his consent.
But go quickly now, there is no time to lose if Mowgli is to be safe, said Rama.
And so it was later that night Mowgli found herself riding on Bagheera's back, winding through the deep, dark jungle.
The ride had been fun, but now Mowgli was tired and ready to go home.
Bagheera, she asked as she stifled a yawn.
I'm getting a little sleepy.
Shouldn't we start back home?
We're not going back, answered Bagheera.
I'm taking you to the man village.
Mowgli opened her eyes wide.
The man village?
But why? she asked.
Because Shere Khan, the tiger, has returned to this part of the jungle and she has sworn not to allow you to grow up to be a huntress like many humans.
Oh, well then, that's simple.
Just explain to Shere Khan that I would never do a thing like that.
Bagheera shook her head slowly and looked at Mowgli.
Don't be foolish, the panther said.
No one explains anything to Shere Khan.
Mowgli stuck out her chin and cried, "'Well, I'm not afraid of Shere Khan or anybody!'
As Mowgli continued to argue, the two came upon a big sprawling tree."
Now that's enough, said Bagheera, eyeing the tree.
We'll spend the night here, and when tomorrow comes, things will look much better.
Mowgli didn't think so.
She didn't want to spend the night in a tree.
She didn't want to go to the man village.
She wanted to spend the night with her family, and she told the panther as much.
Mowgli!
Get up in the tree now.
Then, in a kinder tone, Bagheera said, Go on.
Go up, Mowgli.
You'll be safer there.
With much help from the kind panther, Mowgli climbed to the tallest parts of the tree, making a bed for herself in between two branches.
The panther rested her head nearby as the two drifted off to sleep and the sounds of the jungle surrounded them.
As the pair slept soundly, they didn't even notice a new sound approaching.
Time out.
It seems like a good time to act out our story.
I think you're right, little woman cub.
I'll play the part of Bagheera and you can play the part of Mowgli.
Alexa, what part do I get to play?
You get to be Ka, the sneaky, slithering snake.
Super!
Is everybody ready to get started?
Yes!
Then let's get to it.
A is for action.
What's this?
A snack?
Ah, yes!
Stay asleep as I ensnare my supper.
Sleep.
What's happening?
Bagheera?
Not now, little cub.
It's time for sleep.
Sleep.
Bagheera?
I told you things will look brighter in the morning.
She won't be here in the morning.
Wait, what?
Bagheera!
Bagheera!
You get away from that cub!
Quick!
Mowgli!
Her tail!
Push it off the tree!
You beast!
Whoa, the jungle sure is a dangerous place.
Yeah, Mowgli was lucky to survive.
Baby B, you can stop hissing now.
Oops, sometimes it's hard to get out of character.
This version of The Jungle Book was written by Jim Rossi and was adapted for this podcast by us, with a little help from our mom.
If you liked what you listened to, ask a grown-up to help you subscribe to our show.
We'll ABC you later.
