Then he pressed his face close to the window and watched the fire on the hearth. He saw the husbandman's wife get up and feed it in the night with black lumps; and when the morning came and the mists were all white and cold, he saw the man's child pick up a wicker pot plastered inside with earth, fill it with lumps of red-hot charcoal, put it under his blanket, and go out to tend the cows in the byre.

Question

—“Mowgli’s Brothers,” The Jungle Book,
Rudyard Kipling

How would you describe the pace of the events in this passage?

Which word best describes the mood that the pacing helps create?

Answer 1

The pace of the events in this passage can be described as slow and reflective. The detailed observations of the husbandman's wife tending to the fire, the description of the morning mists, and the child's careful actions create a sense of deliberate, measured progression. This leisurely pace invites readers to fully absorb the scene and provides a feeling of intimacy with the setting and characters.

The word that best describes the mood created by this pacing is "tranquil." The slow unfolding of events, combined with the imagery of the quiet night transitioning into a cold morning, evokes a calm and peaceful atmosphere, allowing readers to appreciate the simplicity of rural life.