The Third Jungle Book after the first half of "Mowgli's Brothers" when the infant Mowgli is being taught jungle law and customs, and end after the events of "In the Rukh", when Mowgli is married and raising a child but still keeping in touch with his animal friends. Some of the stories are inspired by Kipling. "Where the Elephants Dance" is based on Kipling's "Toomai of the Elephants", while "The Mad Elephant of Mandla" and "Jacala, Tyrant of the Marsh" are both based on single sentences in Kipling's "Red Dog" in which Kipling mentions some of Mowgli's adventures that he did not intend to
The Jungle Book the stories, reflecting the irresponsible side of human nature. "The Jungle Book" has remained popular, partly through its many adaptations for film and other media. Critics such as Swati Singh have noted that even critics wary of Kipling for his supposed imperialism have admired the power of his storytelling. The book has been influential in the scout movement, whose founder, Robert Baden-Powell, was a friend of Kipling's. Percy Grainger composed his "Jungle Book Cycle" around quotations from the book. The stories were first published in magazines in 1893–94. The original publications contain illustrations, some by the author's father, John Lockwood