Baloo grinned proudly as Rann flew off. "Mowgli remembered the hawk's language! And he found a way to send us a message."
"See?" Bagheera said. "I told you that he's very smart. But we'd better get to Monkey City right away."
Everyone knew where Monkey City was, but few jungle animals went there. It was an old deserted city, buried in the jungle. Only the monkeys liked to use places once used by people.
"It is half a night's journey—at full speed," Bagheera said, glancing at the old bear.
"I'll go as fast as I can," Baloo promised.
"We can't wait for you," Bagheera said. "Kaa and I will rush ahead. You can follow as best you can."
"I have no feet," Kaa said. "But I'm very fast. Let's go."
Baloo hurried after Kaa and Bagheera, but soon he stopped, panting. Bagheera kept running, while Kaa seemed to pour himself along the ground. The snake found the quickest route through the jungle with his steady eyes and followed it.
Mowgli looked around Monkey City. It was in ruins now. But some king had built it long ago. Trees grew in and out of marble walls, and wild vines hung from windows. There was a palace with no roof at the top of the hill. Below the palace were rows of houses and empty pits. Shattered domes from temples lay on the ground.
The monkeys called this place Monkey City. Yet they had no idea how to use the people's buildings. They sat inside the marble rooms and scratched for fleas. They raced along the terrace, shaking orange trees, just to watch the fruit fall. They drank and fought at the water tanks. Every once in a while, the monkeys got tired of the city. Then they went back to the treetops.
The monkeys reached the city late in the day. Instead of going to sleep after the long journey, the monkeys joined hands and danced. One monkey even made a long speech.
"This man cub is going to change monkey history!" he announced. "This boy will show us how to weave sticks together. We can create shelters."
With a sigh, Mowgli began to weave some sticks together. A few monkeys tried to do just what he was doing. But one by one, they got bored and jumped up. Some started pulling friends' tails. Others jumped around, singing.
Finally Mowgli gave up and put down the sticks. "I'm hungry!"
Twenty monkeys jumped up to bring him nuts. They started fighting on the way—and forgot all about the food.
"Baloo was right," Mowgli thought. "Monkeys have no laws and no leader. All they do is steal and sing. I'm going home!"
Mowgli jumped to his feet and headed toward the gate. But the monkeys quickly pulled him back.
"Oh no! You're staying with us!"
"Why do you want to leave?" a monkey said. "We're the most wonderful creatures in the jungle. We'll tell you all about how great we are!"
All the monkeys were gathering on the terrace to listen to the silly stories. Mowgli couldn't help laughing.
"I wonder if they ever sleep," he thought. He looked up to see a cloud sliding toward the moon. Soon it would be completely dark. He'd try again to escape then.