Who doesn't know them: the little Indian boy Mowgli, his loyal friends Baloo, Bagheera, and Kaa, and his arch-enemy, the treacherous tiger Shere Khan. The characters from Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book," published in 1894, have enchanted millions of audiences, especially since Disney's animated classic, and established the worldwide fame of the English Nobel laureate. The seemingly boundless imagination, sparkling wit, and not least the extensive knowledge of the Indian animal and plant world contribute to the magical charm of these stories.