Are you familiar with Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book? The story about the little boy who is brought up in the jungle by a pack of wolves, a black panther and a chubby bear?
Then you might have noticed that there is a new film version out in the movie theatres these days. I went to see it yesterday and became so inspired that I had to sit down and write this blog post. The thing is, the movie took me down memory lane as I was literally brought up with the characters Mowgli, Baloo and Bagheera. My parents would read out loud from the book before I could read it myself, take me to the movie theatre to see the Disney films and to the theatre to watch the play. My mum even quoted Baloo during her speech for my Confirmation dinner!
While just an adventurous story at the time, watching it again now made me realize just how much life wisdom the story entails. Friendship, family, love, belonging, identity, presence, happiness.....all the important themes of life are there. The characters, with their songs and straight-to-the-point sayings, made me reflect on how I deal with things, and whether or not these things could be made easier just by changing my attitude. For sure, The Jungle Book is far from just a children’s book. It is a book for young adolescents, adolescents and adults as well. So, are you ready to be swept away by the jungle’s teachings? Below are my nine favourite quotes of wisdom + a video clip of my most-loved scene (from the old, animated version).
May they inspire you just as much as they inspire me!
1. “Look for the bare necessities. The simple bare necessities. Forget about your worries and your strife.”
- Baloo
2. “Don’t spend your time looking for something you want that can’t be found.”
– Baloo
3. “When you find out you can live without it, go along not thinking about it.”
– Baloo
4. “Things will look better in the morning.”
– Bagheera
5. “The bare necessities of life will come to you.”
– Baloo
6. “Greater love hath no one than he who lays down his life for his friend.”
– Bagheera
7. “The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.”
– The Law of the Jungle
8. “Now don’t be angry after you’ve been afraid. That’s the worst kind of cowardice.”
– The Troop-horse
9. “Thou art of the jungle or not of the jungle. And I am only a black panther. But I love thee, little brother.”
– Bagheera
Movie clip from The Jungle Book “The Bare Necessities”
Written by our Young Happy Minds-friend: The talented journalist, yogainstructor and adventure seeker Katinka Sætersdal Remøe
Pictures from DisneyScreenCaps