Kipling, Rudyard

Twelve short stories, most of which tell how such things as the alphabet, the camel's hump, and the elephant's trunk came to be.

Relates how the greyish-yellowish-brownish leopard came by his spots.

The story of an orphaned son of an Irish soldier in India provides a powerful look at the country of India and the strong differences that exist between East and West.

After being washed overboard from an ocean liner, a spoiled millionaire's son is rescued by New England fishermen who put him to work on their boat.

Seven tales that explain special things about animals, such as how the whale got his tiny throat, the camel his hump and the leopard his spots.