Most everyone has grown up with Disney and their wide array of films. Whether it’s the animated frame-by-frame classics or the new-age movies, at some point or another, for just a split second or an endless binge-cycle; you have some acquaintance with Disney.

Today, we’ll be focusing on, as the title were to suggest, “The Jungle Book”. Let me clarify which one though, as every few years a new rendition will be made. Specifically, I’ll be focusing on their 1967 animated version of the story.

Which for a little context, was written in 1894 by Rudyard Kipling, and is a collection of various poems and other stories, including “The White Seal”, “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”, “Toomai of the Elephants”, and “Servants of the Queen”. 

After reading these stories I decided to compare the novel to Disney’s “The Jungle Book” and tell you about it. 

Personally, I prefer the book, however don’t let my opinions cloud your judgment. 

In the film: 

We open the movie with credits set to a beautiful scenery and hypnotizing music. Enter Bagheera the black panther, just going about his day aimlessly prowling through the jungle. 

In the book: 

The story actually begins with Raksha, Mother Wolf, and Rama, Father Wolf. As Raksha feeds their cubs, and Rama looks on, a rustling in the nearby bushes introduces Tabaqui, the jackal; an animal infected by madness, or what’s medically known as rabies. The three adults exchange quick tight-lipped pleasantries and Tabaqui leaves just as quickly as he appeared.

In the film: 

Suddenly the silence is broken when a baby cries out. Bagheera rushes to find the source of the noise and finds a wrecked boat with an abandoned man-cub, human child, in it. The film’s protagonist Mowgli, although his name wouldn’t be revealed until later. 

In the book: 

Not a minute later and more activity is heard; the roars of Shere Khan the tiger, who attempted to ambush a group of men around their campfire, they all escape unharmed. However, what’s revealed, when things die down again, is a singular man-cub, unafraid of what he just went through and the wolves he’s now facing. Raksha immediately admires his courage and Rama places him among the other, wolf, cubs.

In the film: 

Torn on whether to leave the defenseless child alone and continue on with his life, Bagheera decides to do the opposite and help the man-cub. However, since Mowgli is a mere baby and needs someone to look after him and provide, he takes Mowgli to Rama, the wolf, and his wife, who have a family of their own.

In the book: 

Tabaqui appears and behind him, Shere Khan. To excuse his failed hunt, he wants Mowgli. With the upper hand, the wolves den having been built in a narrow cave too small for Shere Khan to fit in, Raksha claims him; Shere Khan leaves with Tabaqui, and Raksha names the man-cub Mowgli.

In the film: 

While it’s not outright stated/shown, Mowgli is quickly accepted by his new family and the rest of the wolf pack.

In the book: 

In order for Mowgli to stay with them, he must first be accepted by the Seeonee Wolf Pack. At the next pack meeting Raksha and Rama take Mowgli to Council Rock, where he will meet their leader Akela, and have a chance to be named a member of the pack. If he isn’t accepted then Shere Khan could take Mowgli without any backlash. However Baloo, the teacher of the young cubs in the pack, advocates for Mowgli’s place; Bagheera, a friend of the packs and one of the jungle’s most respected creatures, buys Mowgli’s place with a freshly killed bull. 

In the film: 

A quick time skip later, and Mowgli has grown into a young man; worrying the leader of the wolf pack Akela, who believes that their dreaded enemy Shere Khan, the tiger, will attack them for housing a man-cub. Thus, Akela asks Rama to send him off to a nearby man-village; so that not only could the pack be safe, but Mowgli might have a better life with his own kind. Bagheera offers to guide Mowgli’s guide there, and the plan is set in motion. The journey begins calmly, at first, however once Mowgli learns of what’s to happen to him, he attempts to fight back

In the book: 

As Mowgli grows older Shere Khan has begun to convince the younger wolves that Akela is a weak leader and, with him gone, they could be free to live free of laws and reprimand. To preserve peace within the Seeonee Wolf Pack Akela begs for Mowgli to leave; if he’s allowed to do so without harm, when it’s time for Akela to be replaced as leader, he will not fight back. With the help of Bagheera, to guide him, correctly, to the nearby man-village, Mowgli leaves willingly.

In the film: 

The two travelers climb up a tree to rest, so they may continue their journey on the next day well rested and more at ease. Once Bagheera falls asleep Mowgli meets Kaa, the python, that had waited for his opportunity to strike before making himself known. Using a hypnotic power, concentrated in his eyes, Kaa attempts to eat Mowgli until Bagheera awakens and intervenes. He hypnotizes and tries a similar feat with Bagheera but is foiled by Mowgli and subsequently removed from the tree they are staying in; after, they fall back asleep.

In the book: 

Mowgli does meet Kaa, however it’s not until much later.

In the film: 

A peaceful morning begins yet ends just as quickly, for a troop of elephants, known as the Dawn Patrol, are stomping through the jungle. Mowgli sneaks off from Bagheera’s watchful eye and joins the parade. Where he meets Colonel Hathi, the elephant’s leader, Winifred, Hathi’s wife, and their son, whose name isn’t mentioned. Bagheera interrupts their brief interaction and leads Mowgli back into the jungle to continue their quest. 

In the book: 

Hathi doesn’t have the title of Colonel but is known as ruler of the jungle’s elephants; his wife is Gajjini and his son, Hathi Jr. Their interaction with Mowgli is brief and only mentioned once in passing, Hathi helped in teaching Mowgli about the beasts living in the jungle.

In the film: 

Not wanting to leave the jungle, Mowgli fights back. An agitated Bagheera leaves Mowgli to follow through with his wish, and just like that Mowgli’s alone; not for long though, as he’s found just moments later by Baloo, the bear.

In the book: 

Baloo, as the teacher for the wolf cubs of the Seeonee Wolf Pack was also responsible for teaching Mowgli, had become his mentor; Mowgli, in turn, was his most faithful and successful student.

In the film: 

Mowgli and Baloo are quick to become friends with Mowgli thinking all his problems are over, now that he has a companion to play with and someone who wants him to stay in the jungle. Bagheera makes a quick appearance but doesn’t stay long. Unfortunately the fun isn’t lasting for a group of monkeys kidnap Mowgli and take him to their home in the Ancient Ruins; a small man-village that’s long since been abandoned and overgrown by jungle foliage.

In the book: 

During a lesson with Baloo, Mowgli, despite being told not to, admits to having approached the Bandar-log, the Monkey People, anyway. After being scolded by Bagheera and Baloo, for which he does apologize, they carry on their respective tasks of teaching and learning. Suddenly Mowgli vanishes and Bagheera and Baloo are left clueless as to where he went only knowing that the Bandar-log have taken him. They go to find Kaa for help, as the Bandar-log greatly fear him. Kali the Kite, a vulture, that followed Mowgli during his capture, leads them to the Cold Lairs, home of the Bandar-log’.

In the film: 

There he’s introduced to their leader, King Louie. He knows of Mowgli’s desire to stay in the jungle and offers him an opportunity to do so, but only if Mowgli can teach him the secret to creating fire; which he, genuinely, doesn’t know how to do.

In the book: 

While King Louie himself doesn’t exist, the central idea of capturing Mowgli, and their plan for him is quite similar. The Bandar-log/Monkey People are beasts that live free of laws and without a care in the world for it; however due to this they’ve been shunned by the other jungle-folk. If Mowgli teaches them all that he knows, the Bandar-log would become envied by the inhabitants of the jungle.

In the film: 

Bagheera and Baloo arrive saving Mowgli from King Louie and the monkeys, simultaneously destroying the Ancient Ruins in the process. 

In the book: 

While Baloo and Bagheera fight the Bandar-log, all the same, they aren’t able to defeat their opponents singlehandedly; no indeed, their saving grace is Kaa. His very presence alone terrifies the Bandar-log, allowing for Mowgli to be reunited with Bagheera and Baloo, as the three rejoice Kaa reveals a hidden power; hypnotism through a special hypnotic dance, known as the Hunger-Dance. Baloo and Bagheera are both hypnotized as well, albeit accidentally, as Mowgli leads them away from the Cold Lairs, Kaa begins to feast.

In the film: 

As Mowgli rests Bagheera confronts Baloo and tells him that he must give up Mowgli to the man-village. At first he refuses until Shere Khan’s name is mentioned; Baloo may be strong but Shere Khan is more so compared to him, and in the worst case scenario they were to fight Baloo would surely lose to Shere Khan, and Mowgli would be at his mercy. Reluctantly he agrees to do what’s right; once Mowgli awakens they set off until he learns what their destination is and quickly escapes from Baloo going deeper yet into the jungle.

In the book: 

Mowgli is reprimanded for his involvement with the Bandar-log and punished for it. Afterwards, he continues his journey to the man-village, still willingly. 

In the film: 

We quickly cut back to an empty scenery, save for the only beast in view Shere Khan. He crouches and gets ready to ambush his prey but the sound of the footsteps of the Dawn Patrol alert both him, and his prey. It takes off but he remains intending only due to an exhausted Bagheera frantically telling Colonel Hathi that Mowgli is lost somewhere in the jungle. Despite Bagheera’s begging Colonel Hathi would rather turn the other way until his wife, Winifred, convinces him to do otherwise. Bagheera runs off to continue searching while Colonel Hathi forms a plan of attack with his herd, unfortunately the whole thing is overheard by Shere Khan; with this information he can now hunt for Mowgli without running into trouble, or someone who might stop him.

In the book: 

The Dawn Patrol is only mentioned once, then never again. As for Shere Khan he had already been in the jungle and just has slowly been edging closer to the man-village, where Mowgli is now living in, and is considered a member of. Gray Brother, one of Raksha and Rama’s cubs/Mowgli’s sibling, who has played the unofficial look-out of the jungle for Mowgli; informs him that Shere Khan has gotten, frighteningly, closer to the man-village and is finally ready to strike. Gray Brother interrogated, and killed, Tabaqui for this information. 

In the film: 

The movie suddenly jumps back to Mowgli who, at this point, discerns that he can’t trust a single being in the jungle, not even his friends. His moment of sorrow is interrupted by Kaa claiming to be his only friend left in the world, and willing to let him stay; of course his intentions are already known and so, once given the chance, immediately hypnotizes Mowgli. Kaa’s meal is interrupted when Shere Khan appears below their tree asking if Kaa knows the location of, or if he’s seen, Mowgli. Kaa manages to convince Shere Khan that he hasn’t seen Mowgli, which accidentally wakes him from the hypnotic trance. As soon as Shere Khan leaves Mowgli shoves himself away from Kaa and leaves; restating, and reaffirming his theory, that the jungle, and those who inhabit it, are no longer his friends, and this place is no longer his home. 

In the book: 

Kaa is a very minor character in the novel, and he never really meets Shere Khan; he interacts with Mowgli even less. Not only that but their relationship is one of respect, for how minute it actually appears on page. Either way at this point, it must be acknowledged that most of the remaining story takes place in the man-village, and that, once again, Mowgli had no qualms with becoming a part of/integrating into his new home. 

In the film: 

Upon going deeper into the jungle Mowgli encounters a quartet of vultures, whose names aren’t mentioned. They poke fun at him a bit before realizing how deeply their words are affecting him; Mowgli may not be openly sobbing but the tension in the air is palpable, and his shed tears are a good hint of that. The four vultures try to lift his mood and, after hearing his tales of woe, tell Mowgli that he can join their group and stay in the jungle. 

In the book: 

Kites, vultures, are mentioned multiple times but aren’t instated as full characters. The closest we get to this is Kali, but there is no group of them.

In the film: 

However none-other than Shere Khan interrupts them, and the vultures immediately flee claiming their intention, the entire time, was keeping Mowgli distracted until he arrived. Shere Khan invites Mowgli to a chase, taunting that it’s a fun way to end one’s life, in Shere Khan’s eyes that is, and while he counts Mowgli picks up a large branch and prepares for the attack. He leaps but is withheld from attacking by Baloo.

In the book: 

Mowgli, at this exact moment, is herding water buffalo through the jungle, with a few of the man-village children, when suddenly Akela and Gray Brother arrive rushing to tell Mowgli that Shere Khan is resting in a quarry nearby, after just having eaten. A second later Gray Brother arrives, and thus Mowgli leads the two wolves, Rama, the figurehead leader of the water buffalo, which he commonly rides and converses with; plus, the rest of Rama’s herd, to go off and find Shere Khan. 

In the film: 

What courage Baloo had quickly vanishes as he is struck-down, and presumed to be dead.

In the book: 

Baloo is not involved in Mowgli’s final confrontation with Shere Khan.

In the film: 

Mowgli, while they fought, witnessed lightning strike a nearby tree causing one of its branches to fall down still ablaze. The vultures instruct Mowgli to pick it up and as they attack Shere Khan Mowgli ties the flaming branch to his tail. He runs away in terror sheering/burning his coat in the process.

In the book: 

The order in which these events happened is a bit jumbled, but still semi-accurate. Before Akela steps down from the Seeonee Wolf Pack, when Mowgli vows to leave the jungle; he steals a pot of fire and cultivates it. At Council Rock that night, a short while before Mowgli begins his journey to the man-village, he demands that Shere Khan leave the pack and Akela alone; to enunciate his point, Mowgli throws the pot of fire at him, searing Shere Khan’s coat and effectively running him out of the jungle, temporarily. For the final battle Mowgli, Gray Brother, and Akela lead Rama and the herd into the quarry where Shere Khan is resting. He wakes up and tries to fight however it is in vain, Shere Khan is trampled to death. 

In the film: 

Bagheera arrives to see Mowgli mourning his fallen friend Baloo. Bagheera begins a eulogy painting the great things done by Baloo and comforting Mowgli, as they continue their way to the man-village. Surprisingly, they are interrupted by Baloo who was not dead; simply incapacitated.

In the book: 

Bagheera does not appear nor is mentioned in Shere Khan and Mowgli’s fight. 

In the film: 

With Mowgli finally having earned his place in the jungle the three set off, but are just as quickly interrupted by a voice. Mowgli follows it and finds the source, a human girl at the entrance of the man-village collecting water. He approaches thoroughly confused, as he’s never seen another human before, and falls into the water she’s been collecting from; the girl merely laughs and stands up, heading towards the village. However she drops the jug, which empties, but Mowgli steps in and quickly fills it up and begins to follow her into the man-village. He takes one last look at Baloo, who begs him to come back, and Bagheera, encouraging him to go; all Mowgli does is smile and continues, finally ending his long journey.

In the book: 

There is a girl in the man-village who Mowgli has a connection with, however she is much older than him, old enough to be his mother and that’s just how she turns out to be; Messua, the woman, takes in Mowgli viewing his arrival as a gift from her son Nathoo, who is missing and presumed to be dead. Her role is very important in the aftermath of Mowgli and Shere Khan’s battle. Buldeo, an old and seasoned hunter from the man-village, discredits Mowgli for the defeat of Shere Khan and jokingly offers him a measly sum of the reward for the tiger’s head; Shere Khan’s presence had long since terrorized the villange and a reward for his death had been placed. Mowgli refuses and Buldeo becomes more aggressive in his approach, before he can turn their argument into a physical fight Akela knocks Buldeo down; Mowgli finishes removing Shere Khan’s hide and simultaneously warns Buldeo to be wary of the jungle/his power, Akela is ordered off Buldeo and he races back to the man-village. A bit later Mowgli, Rama and the herd, Akela, and Gray Brother return as well only for the villagers to be cursing Mowgli’s name, claiming that he is a demon, and to leave and never return to the village. Messua tries to argue Mowgli’s innocence, but her pleas are drowned out. Mowgli thanks Messua and lets the village know his next act is only laced with mercy due to her kindness and hospitality. Mowgli dismounts Rama, and Akela and Gray Brother send Rama and the herd stampeding through the village. He leaves, returning back to the jungle; his final act in the man-village becomes a part of legend.

In the film: 

While upset ultimately things are as they should be. Baloo and Bagheera leave to start their own journey back into the jungle, never to see Mowgli again.

In the book: 

Mowgli returns to the jungle reuniting with Baloo and Bagheera, both are upset that the man-village rejected Mowgli but overall happy that he’s back. Mowgli, further, reunites with his true family Rama/Father Wolf, and Raksha, presenting to them the hide of Shere Khan. During the next meeting at Council Rock for the Seeonee Wolf Pack, Mowgli appears and hangs up his trophy. The pack had fallen into discord as without Akela no other leader was elected, they begged him to be once again their pack leader, but he refuses. Instead, he offers Mowgli the role, but Mowgli refuses as well. Rather his plan is to become a separate group, made up of animals not of the same species, but those that Mowgli considers to be friends. He leaves with three of his beloved wolves, which aren’t specified but could probably be Akela, Gray Brother and the other wolf siblings, Rama/Father Wolf, and/or Raksha. Thus they leave, and the story ends.