Just So Stories (Dodo Press)

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Overview

How did the camel get his hump? How did the leopard get his spots? How did the elephant get his trunk?

These are questions that children around the world have asked for centuries, but it took Nobel Prize winner Rudyard Kipling's lively, hilarious stories to give them answers. For one hundred years, these classic tales — drawn from the oral storytelling traditions of India and Africa and filled with mischievously clever animals and people — have entertained young and old alike.Intertwined within these delightful tales are little pearls of wisdom about the pitfalls of arrogance and pride and the importance of curiosity, imagination, and inventiveness. Kipling's rhythmic prose makes these tales perfect for sharing aloud with the whole family.

This deluxe edition contains all of Kiplin's unforgettable stories as well as ten stunning watercolors, along with numerous black-and-white drawings, from award-winning artist Barry Moser, bringing this timeless masterpiece brilliantly to life for a whole new generation of readers.

A collection of the well-known stories, including "How the Whale Got His Throat," "The Elephant's Child," and "The Butterfly that Stamped."

Editorial Reviews

Children's Literature
Kipling loved the pourquoi tale and conjured up all sorts of preposterous explanations for the whims of nature. This is not a retelling, but a volume of Kipling's stories-classic because children and adults can appreciate them in their original and delightful language. These are his simple, reasonable interpretations of how the leopard got his spots, how armadillos came to be and how the camel got his hump. Pourquoi tales can qualify as fables if there is a lesson to be learned and a moral to the story. All Kipling's tales are laced with bits of Indian culture and studies of human behavior told with his genius for energetic, rhythmic language. The dynamic woodcuts, full of bright contrasts, decorate each tale.
More Reviews (1) Fewer Reviews
From The Critics
I spent an enjoyable evening rereading Kipling's marvelous creation stories. His hungry whale and imperious butterfly came to life again, while "How the First Letter Was Written" and "How the Alphabet Was Made" reiterated the joys of discovery. Barry Moser's illustrations are very fine, with just the right touch of humor and slyness-particularly his disdainfully "humphing" camel. The only thing missing was an eager audience. These stories cry out to be read aloud, as Kipling himself once did for his own children.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781406503142
  • Publisher: Dodo Press
  • Publication date: 12/21/2005
  • Pages: 88
  • Lexile: 1190L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 6.00 (w) x 9.00 (h) x 0.21 (d)

Meet the Author

Rudyard Kipling(1865-1936), recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907, was an English novelist, short-story writer, and poet. His sweeping tales of adventure, including Kim, Captains Courageous, and The jungle Book, won him wide popularity during his lifetime and have been beloved by generations.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One



How The Whale
Got His Throat



In the sea, once upon a time, O my Best Beloved, there was a Whale,, and he ate fishes. He ate the starfish and the garfish, and the crab and the dab, and the plaice and the dace, and the skate and his mate, and the mackereel and the pickereel, and the really truly twirly-whirly eel. All the fishes he could find in all the sea he ate with his mouth — so! Till at last there was only one small fish left in all the sea, and he was a small 'Stute Fish, and he swam a little behind the Whale's right ear, so as to be out of harm's way. Then the Whale stood up on his tail and said, I'm hungry." And the small 'Stute Fish said in a small 'stute voice, "Noble and generous Cetacean, have you ever tasted Man?"

'No, said the Whale. "What is it like?"

"Nice," said the small 'Stute Fish. "Nice but nubbly."

"Then fetch me some, said the Whale, and he made the sea froth up with his tail.

"One at a time is enough,"' said the 'Stute Fish. "If you swim to latitude Fifty North, longitude Forty West (that is Magic), you will find, sitting on a raft, in the middle of the sea, with nothing on but a pair of blue canvas breeches, a pair of suspenders (you must not forget the suspenders, Best Beloved), and a jackknife, one shipwrecked Mariner, who, it is only fair to tell you, is a man of infinite-resource-and-sagacity."

So the Whale swam and swam to latitude Fifty North, longitude Forty West, as fast as he could swim, and on a raft, in the middle of the sea, with nothing to wear except a pair of blue canvas breeches, a pair of suspenders (you mustparticularly remember the suspenders Best Beloved), and a jackknife, he found one single, solitary shipwrecked Mariner, trailing his toes in the water. (He had his Mummy's leave to paddle, or else he would never have done it) because he was a man of infinite -resource- and-sagacity.)

Then the Whale opened his mouth back and back and back till it nearly touched his tail, and he swallowed the shipwrecked Mariner, and the raft he was sitting on, and his blue canvas breeches, and the suspenders (which you must not forget), and the jackknife —He swallowed them all down into his warm, dark, inside cupboards, and then he smacked his lips — so, and turned round three times on his tail.

But as soon as the Mariner, who was a man of infinite -resource- and- sagacity, found himself truly inside the Whale's warm, dark, inside cupboards, he stumpedand he jumped and he thumped and he bumped, and he pranced and he danced, and he banged and he clanged, and he hit and he bit, and he leaped and he creeped, and he prowled and he howled, and he hopped and he dropped, and he cried and he sighed, and he crawled and he bawled) and he stepped and he lepped, and he danced hornpipes where he shouldn't, and the Whale felt most unhappy indeed. (Have you forgotten the suspenders?)

So he said to the 'Stute Fish, This man is very nubbly, and besides he is making me hiccough. What shall I do? "

"Tell him to come out," said the 'Stute Fish.

So the Whale called down his own throat to the shipwrecked Mariner, "Come out and behave yourself. I've got the hiccoughs."

"Nay, nay!" said the Mariner. "Not so, but far otherwise. Take me to my natal-shore and the white-cliffs-of-Albion, and I'll think about it." And he began to dance more than ever.

"You had better take him home," said the 'Stute Fish to the Whale. "I ought to have warned you that he is a man of infinite-resource-and-sagacity."

So the Whale swam and swam and swam, with both flippers and his tail, as hard as he could for the hiccoughs; and at last he saw the Mariner's natal-shore and the white - cliffs - of-Albion, and he rushed halfway up the beach, and opened his mouth wide and wide and wide, and said, "Change here for Winchester, Ashuelot, Nashua,) Keene.) and stations on the Fitchburg Road"; and just as he said "Fitch" the Mariner walked out of his mouth. But while the Whale had been swimming, the Mariner, who was indeed a person of infinite-resource- and- sagacity, had taken his jackknife and cut up the raft into a little square grating all running crisscross, and he had tied it firm with his suspenders (now you know why you were not to forget the suspenders!), and he dragged that grating good and tight into the Whale's throat, and there it stuck! Then he recited the following Sloka, which, as you have not heard it, I will now proceed to relate —

By means of a grating I have stopped your ating.


For the Mariner he was also an Hi-ber-ni-an. And he stepped out on the shingle, and went home to his Mother, who had given him leave to trail his toes in the water; and he married and lived happily ever afterward. So did the Whale. But from that day on, the grating in his throat, which he could neither cough up nor swallow down, prevented him eating anything except very, very small fish; and that is the reason why whales nowadays never eat men or boys or little girls.

The small 'Stute Fish went and hid himself in the mud under the Doorsills of the Equator. He was afraid that the Whale might be angry with him.

The Sailor took the jackknife home. He was wearing the blue canvas breeches when he walked out on the shingle. The suspenders were left behind, you see, to tie the grating with; and that is the end of that tale.

Customer Reviews
Average Rating 3.5
( 70 )

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  • Posted February 10, 2011

    Essential read for Any young person

    I love these stories. I've loved their subtle rhythm and magnificent, genius wording ever since I was a child. Now, my children get the chance to enjoy them read aloud as well, and even in doctor's offices, in stores, anywhere my portable nook goes. Love it! Our favorites: The cat who walked by himself, the Elephant's child, and especially How the camel got his hump. To see Kipling's genius at work, and yet also be able to enjoy what you are reading to your children is a priceless gift. This edition seems whole, and, in the most part, without glaring errors, although the brief poems at the ending of chapters are a bit difficult to read with the stanzas edited oddly.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 19, 2002

    Excellent Stories!!

    I grew up with my Mom reading the Just So Stories to me. They were clever and I enjoyed them thoroughly. I don't think I can ever forget the way my Mom used to read The Elephant's Child to me. She'd would always use funny voices. I highly recommend this book. I garantee full enjoyment for the whole family!

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 11, 2001

    A Humorous Look at How Strengths Emerge from Weaknesses!

    Let me make it clear that I am reviewing the Signet Classics version of Just So Stories. The reason I say that is because the original versions of these stories contain material that would be offensive to most people today, but the worst of that has been removed from this edition. The other advantage of this version is that it contains Kipling's own illustrations and his captions for those illustrations. Finally, this version is also very inexpensive. These stories were told to Kipling in their original form when he was a child by his Indian nursemaids. They are drawn from many non-Western sources, and provide good contrasts with European fairy tales. In most cases, the stories are about animals or early human beings and their development into their modern form or capabilities. But they are really satires on human weaknesses, with the moral showing how overcoming a weakness will usually create a strength. Here are the stories and their morals: How the Whale Got His Throat -- If you get too greedy, you will bite off more than you can chew. By taking on less at a time, you can absorb more in total. How the Camel Got His Hump -- If you are lazy and procrastinate, you will just have to do without in the future and be less attractive in order to make up for it. Having resources for times of scarcity is always helpful. How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin -- Being too aggressive will cause you to experience retribution from those you harm. With more flexibility, you can be more agile. How the Leopard Got His Spots -- You have a better chance of success if you blend in, rather than trying to stand out individually too much. The Elephant's Child -- If you are too nosy, you can get into mischief. Having a keen nose can help you sniff out and execute more opportunities. The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo -- Be careful what you wish for, you may get it. Being boundless gives you the chance to explore more. The Beginning of the Armadillo -- Versatility is more valuable than knowing just one way to handle a situation. How the First Letter Was Written -- Miscommunication is easier to accomplish than correct communication. Double-check to be sure the message is understood. How the Alphabet Was Made -- Choose combinations of communication that are unambiguous, or you will find yourself confusing everyone. This story is a brilliant essay on how one might go about inventing written language. The Crab that Played with the Sea -- Consider the consequences of your actions before you act, or you may see the actions rebound against you. The Cat that Walked by Himself -- The benefits of helping others greatly improve one's own life. The Butterfly that Stamped -- Actions taken for the right reason have just consequences while actions taken for pride tend to boomerang against us. Each story contains a prose tale, followed by a brief poem. The illustrations are explained in the caption at the end. The style of the stories includes lots of funny repetition, especially in the names of rivers and the features of the animals being described. With each re

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted May 11, 2010

    lively, humorous stories

    In this collection of well-known stories including "The Butterfly that Stamped," "How the Whale Got his Throat," and "The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo," we learn how the camel got his hump, how the leopard got his spots, and how the elephant got his trunk. These are questions that children have asked for centuries around the world, but it took Nobel Prize winning English author Rudyard Kipling to give them answers in these lively, hilarious stories that are drawn from the oral storytelling traditions of India and Africa and filled with mischievously clever animals and people.
    They have entertained young and old alike for over one hundred years with their intertwined little pearls of wisdom about the pitfalls of arrogance and pride and the importance of curiosity, imagination, and inventiveness. We have previously read and enjoyed Kipling's The Jungle Books ("Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" is one of my favorite stories of all time), and the Just So Stories are a worthy and delightful follow up. It is important, of course, to remember that these stories are just myths or legends and told with a dose of tongue in cheek humor.
    In fact, there will be a few inside jokes that only adults will understand--nothing risque or inappropriate, just some plays on words that may be over the heads of some children. However, when we explained them to Jeremy, age twelve, he found them funny. In Hand that Rocks the Cradle, Nathaniel Bluedorn noted, "This story of how the leopard got his spots, how the elephant stretched his nose, et cetera. These stories are told in easy flowing language."

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 1, 2012

    UNTITLED

    I got this in paper

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 2, 2012

    Nook google version

    I hate digitized versions...no pics...lots of texts errors...i wanted pdf scanned original pages

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 6, 2011

    Short stories

    The Just So Stories are a collection of short 'Creation stories'. How the camel got his hump, How the leopard got his spots, etc. They are meant to be read aloud and the audio version is fantastic.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 4, 2011

    Good i guess but...

    I was hoping to see illustrations having to do with the stories but there were none at all. The stories are pretty much the same as the other versions though.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 1, 2011

    I love the just so stories the best book ever

    The begining of the armadillos is probably my favorite especially when painted jaguar was confused about which one was tortoise and which was a hedgehog

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  • Posted October 1, 2011

    Do not download

    Look elsewhere for the fables -- the formatting is terrible

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted September 30, 2011

    Frustrat Frustrating

    Won't load

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 9, 2011

    Trouble

    Im having trouble downloading this!!!:(

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 24, 2011

    Great book

    Great book!!! I think every kid should read it!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 8, 2011

    No errors and the original pictures!

    I have looked at many copies before finding one that was not rotten with transcription errors. This one has the original pictures with no random font changes. Kipling deserves a clean transcription like this.

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  • Posted April 5, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    "Daddy's left ear -- the one that belonged to her to pull when she was good"

    A wee Neolithic Cave Girl trying her best to help Daddy had a hand in two great inventions: pictographic writing and the phonetic alphabet. Read all about it in Rudyard Kipling's 12 JUST SO STORIES of 1902. *** Daddy was named Tegumai Bopsulai and he lived "cavily in a Cave" with wife Teshumai Twindrow and small daughter Taffimai Metallumai (meaning "Small-person-without-any-manners-who-ought-to-be-spanked"). Call her Taffy. She was her parents' Best Beloved "and was not spanked half as much as was good for her." One day Teshumai took a spear and went fishing in the Wagai river. Spearing carp-fish for dinner was the goal and Taffy came along. Daddy shattered his spear on the hard river bottom. Taffy then drew a picture, clear to her but to no one else, and persuaded a wandering adult man who spoke another language to bring it to the Cave and fetch back more fishing spears. Despite all the hullabaloo and misunderstandings, Taffy had written the first letter. *** Next, Taffy and Daddy cooperated to create a phonetic alphabet based on pictograms. And they had so much fun doing it that Taffy felt it was safe to run "down to the river" and "pull her Daddy's left ear -- the one that belonged to her to pull when she was good." And to this day children have fun learning their alphabet the Taffy way. *** Most of the other ten JUST SO STORIES are tongue in cheek yarns about how a variety of animals including whale, camel, rhinoceros, leopard, young elephant, kangaroo, armadillo and crab had various changes made to their anatomy while interacting with their environment. A favorite tale is of the anarchically-minded, what's-in-it-for-me Cat negotiating his way into a precarious relationship in a time much before Taffy's with the Man, the Woman and the Baby. Cat would never be as unquestioningly devoted and caring as Dog and Horse but he made a place for himself among mankind. But "... when the moon gets up and night comes, he is the Cat that walks by himself, and all places are alike to him." *** I suspect that both children and parents will be happily reading JUST SO STORIES "for always and always and always." -OOO-

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 22, 2011

    Horrible

    My son did like it, it was too boring for him and he's only 7...

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 11, 2004

    great story must read

    great way to learn something of the past. by listening to an authors words from the past to under stand the past

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 24, 2004

    So, good it brings brings back memories!

    I haven't read this book in at least 30 years, but it was one of my favorites and I can still remember some parts from the all the wonderful stories. A definite read for children.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 29, 2002

    READ IT OUT LOUD!

    Children love to hear the stories in this book. It is written like no other book I have read. Read it OUT LOUD and with enthusiasm. Listen to the sounds of the words from your own voice and you and your children will see why it is treasured.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 12, 1999

    A must for reading aloud

    Kipling, unfortunately, has been too long forgotten by parents when it comes to reading to children. Though the Jungle Book is wonderful his other works should not collect dust on the bookshelf. This is a truly outstanding selection. The cadence of his prose inspires animation in the reader and the listener. If you haven't read to your children in a while, pick this one up. Relive your own sense of wonder as a child, stir your child's imagination, and watch the love of reading blossom.

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