Read the following excerpt from The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.

Question

There he checked, for he heard the yell of the Pack hunting, heard the bellow of a hunted Sambhur, and the snort as the buck turned at bay. Then there were wicked, bitter howls from the young wolves: “Akela! Akela! Let the Lone Wolf show his strength. Room for the leader of our Pack! Spring, Akela!”

The Lone Wolf must have sprung and missed his hold, for Mowgli heard the snap of his teeth and then a yelp as the Sambhur knocked him over with his fore foot.

He did not wait for anything more, but dashed on; and the yells grew fainter behind him as he ran into the croplands where the villagers lived.

How does the ending of this excerpt create tension and maybe lead to further conflict?

Akela will be furious because he missed his kill, and he will want to take his anger out on Mowgli.
The pack will mourn Akela’s failure during the hunt, but they will honor the old wolf.
After they kill Akela, the wolves will ask Mowgli to become the new leader of their pack.
Because Akela has failed to down the buck, he and Mowgli are likely to be killed by the other wolves.

Answer 1

The ending of the excerpt creates tension and sets the stage for further conflict primarily through the implication of Akela's failure in the hunt and the shift to the human realm. Each of the choices provided explores different potential outcomes, but the most compelling in the context of the story is:

Because Akela has failed to down the buck, he and Mowgli are likely to be killed by the other wolves.

This option highlights the primal nature of the wolf pack's dynamics where failure can lead to severe consequences, including the potential for violence and betrayal. Akela’s inability to secure the kill might not only anger the pack but also diminish his standing as the leader, opening him up to challenges from other wolves. Furthermore, with Mowgli being part of this precarious situation, he could find himself as a target too, either as a scapegoat or as someone the pack sees as a rival.

This tension is underscored by the sense of urgency and danger as Mowgli escapes into the croplands, highlighting a stark contrast between the wild and the human world. It serves to establish a rift not just within the pack but between Mowgli and his former allies, foreboding future confrontations and conflicts that are likely to revolve around loyalty, leadership, and survival.