Just So Stories

While Just So Stories remains a classic and beloved example of English-language children’s literature, many of the stories reflect the racist and colonial environment that Rudyard Kipling was a part of, having been born in British-controlled India in 1865. “How the Leopard Got His Spots” is one of the clearest examples of how Kipling’s work can be controversial for modern audiences. 

The story is about a Leopard and an Ethiopian man, whom Kipling refers to using a racial slur in the original version (this slur usually does not appear in modern editions). In most of the other stories, men are given a place of dominance and superiority over the natural world, reflecting a hierarchical view of The Relationship Between Man and Animals. In the story of the Camel, for example, the animals all work for the Man. Occasionally, a supernatural being intercedes to encourage man’s humility or the animals’ obedience, like the Djinn in the Camel’s story who gives the Camel his hump. In “How the Leopard Got His Spots,” however, the Ethiopian man, referred to as just “the Ethiopian,” lives side by side with the animals, working together with the Leopard instead of enlisting the animal’s service. 

The story’s authority figure is not a man or supernatural being but a baboon, who is considered the “Wisest Animal in All South Africa” (12). While the Ethiopian man is cleverer than the Leopard, fond of using “long words” and being the first to understand they need to change their appearance to blend into the forest, he has to go and ask the baboon for advice, suggesting that the Ethiopian does not have the superior intelligence or authority credited to the Man in other tales. Instead, he and the Leopard defer to the baboon, and are much closer to equals, hunting “together” and calling one another “Brother.” 

Stripping the Ethiopian man of the authority granted to other men in the collection, as well as denying him the title of “Man,” implies a degree of inferiority compared to the geographically unspecified—and potentially white or lighter-skinned—“Man” of some of the other stories, like the Mariner. This equating of the Ethiopian with the animals reflects Kipling’s colonialist and racist belief that people of color were not automatically higher than animals in the natural hierarchy and that they therefore did not enjoy the dominion Kipling associated with the “Man” of other tales. His depiction of the Ethiopian thus subtly echoes his habitual view of non-European peoples as less capable and less resourceful, as reflected in some of his other works such as The White Man’s Burden.

The following story, “The Elephant’s Child” examines The Lasting Consequences of Actions. It also contains content that is problematic from a modern-day standpoint, especially in the context of a child’s bedtime story. The Elephant’s Child is routinely “spanked” by his parents and animal aunts and uncles for the crime of his “‘satiable curtiosity” (17). At first, his new trunk seems to be a punishment for his unceasing questions and curiosity. The Elephant’s Child is lucky to escape from the Crocodile’s jaws, indicating the potential danger of inquisitive behavior. However, the Elephant Child’s new trunk is soon revealed to have many advantages: He can swat flies, pick things up, spray himself with mud to stay cool, and most importantly, spank his family members back. Curiosity, it seems, is a virtue, not a vice.

Both “The Elephant’s Child” and “How the Leopard Got His Spots” deal with the prey-predator reality of the natural world, but much of the actual violence is hidden under the guise of more whimsical explanations. The Leopard and the Ethiopian man are hunting animals like the Giraffe and the Zebra for food, but instead of attacking them, the narrator describes how they hid in the grass to “surprise them out of their jumpsome lives” (11). When the Crocodile attacks the Elephant’s Child, his intentions are clearer, but the Elephant’s Child is not afraid, but rather “much annoyed.” The Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake, who helps the Elephant’s Child pull away from the Crocodile, warns that the Crocodile will “permanently vitiate [his] future career” (20) if he does not escape. However, this description of the Elephant Child’s impending demise is so cryptic it removes any sense of fear, keeping the story light and whimsical for young children.

“The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo” is another story warning against pride and greed, reflecting the collection’s emphasis on Living with Morality and Integrity. The Kangaroo suffers from an “inordinate” pride and asks three separate gods to make him “different from all other animals” (24). He also asks to be “wonderfully popular” and “wonderfully run after” (24), so the Big God Nqong sends Dingo chasing after him until his back legs grow bigger and stronger than any other animal’s. This is an illustrative example of the trickery and word play that often shows up in Kipling’s stories. The Kangaroo wants to be “very truly sought after” (26), meaning that he wants to be popular and in demand, but Nqong takes him literally, sending Dingo to chase and therefore “seek after” him.

“How the Leopard Got His Spots” also has an example of this word play. The Baboon tells the Leopard and the Ethiopian man that the Zebra and the Giraffe have “gone into other spots” and suggests they “go into other spots as soon as [they] can” (12). They interpret this as meaning they need to go to a different place, but later, the Ethiopian man remembers the Baboon’s words and understands he meant the Leopard needed “spots on [his] skin” (14). Word play like this adds an element of humor that both adults and children can appreciate.