Who'll shake his hand? 'I,' said the Fever, 'And I'm no deceiver, I'll shake his hand.' Who brings him the wine? 'I,' said Quinine, 'It's a habit of mine. '_I_'ll come with the wine.' Who'll put him to proof? 'I,' said All Earth, 'Whatever he's worth, I'll put to the proof.' Who'll choose him for Knight? 'I,' said his Mother, 'Before any other, My very own Knight.' And after this fashion, adventure to seek, Was Sir Galahad made--as it might be last week! OUTSONG IN THE JUNGLE BALOO FOR the sake of him who showed One wise Frog the Jungle-Road, Keep the Law the Man-Pack make For thy blind old Baloo's sake! Clean or tainted, hot or stale, Hold it as it were the Trail, Through the day and through the night, Questing neither left nor right. For the sake of him who loves Thee beyond all else that moves, When thy Pack would make thee pain, Say: 'Tabaqui sings again.' When thy Pack would work thee ill, Say: 'Shere Khan is yet to kill.' When the knife is drawn to slay, Keep the Law and go thy way. (Root and honey, palm and spathe, Guard a cub from harm and scathe!) _Wood and Water, Wind and Tree, Jungle-Favour go with thee!_ KAA Anger is the egg of Fear-- Only lidless eyes are clear. Cobra-poison none may leech, Even so with Cobra-speech. Open talk shall call to thee Strength, whose mate is Courtesy. Send no lunge beyond thy length; Lend no rotten bough thy strength. Gauge thy gape with buck or goat, Lest thine eye should choke thy throat After gorging, wouldst thou sleep? Look thy den be hid and deep, Lest a wrong, by thee forgot, Draw thy killer to the spot. East and West and North and South, Wash thy hide and close thy mouth. (Pit and rift and blue pool-brim, Middle-Jungle follow him!) _Wood and Water, Wind and Tree, Jungle-Favour go with thee!_ BAGHEERA In the cage my life began; Well I know the worth of Man. By the Broken Lock that freed-- Man-cub, 'ware the Man-cub's breed! Scenting-dew or starlight pale, Choose no tangled tree-cat trail. Pack or council, hunt or den, Cry no truce with Jackal-Men. Feed them silence when they say: 'Come with us an easy way.' Feed them silence when they seek Help of thine to hurt the weak. Make no _bandar's_ boast of skill; Hold thy peace above the kill. Let nor call nor song nor sign Turn thee from thy hunting-line. (Morning mist or twilight clear, Serve him, Wardens of the Deer!) _Wood and Water, Wind and Tree, Jungle-Favour go with thee!_ THE THREE _On the trail that thou must tread To the thresholds of our dread, Where the Flower blossoms red; Through the nights when thou shalt lie Prisoned from our Mother-sky, Hearing us, thy loves, go by; In the dawns when thou shalt wake To the toil thou canst not break, Heartsick for the Jungle's sake: Wood and Water, Wind and Tree, Wisdom, Strength, and Courtesy, Jungle-Favour go with thee!_ HARP SONG OF THE DANE WOMEN What is a woman that you forsake her, And the hearth-fire and the home-acre, To go with the old grey Widow-maker?