The stories of The Jungle Book have a lyrical quality characterized by concise descriptive passages and a simple, elegant storytelling style. In the story "Mowgli's Brothers," the description of the black panther dropping into a circle of wolves demonstrates Kipling's lyrical style: A black shadow dropped down into the circle. It was Bagheera the Black Panther, inky black all over, but with the panther markings showing up in certain lights like the pattern of watered silk. Everybody knew Bagheera, and nobody cared to cross his path; for.....