Maybe the real “White Man’s Burden” was Rudyard Kipling’s weird and concerning thoughts about morality and order occupying my brain this morning after reading The Jungle Book late at night.
Man, I haven’t consumed such an interesting but deeply and nakedly problematic text in a while.
Alright. Tonight I’m reading “Kaa’s Hunting” from The Jungle Book (1894) by Rudyard Kipling.
I appreciate that this opens with a quoted poem that suggests not to harm the cubs of a stranger, ascribed to the Maxims of Baloo, since Baloo the bear is like a philosopher in this world.
I LOVE HYENAS.
Another Caspian tiger in a Roman mosaic!
At the same time of course, considering this all takes place in British India, it’s hard not to think of Baloo and the carnivores’ total ostracizing approach to the monkeys as somehow parallel to the treatment of dalits in the caste system if we flip the script a bit.
Agnès the miniature dachshund puppy has been getting treats when she pees or poops on her pee pad in the bathroom.
Today she’s been sitting next to the pad and yapping until one of us comes in there. We are very sure she’s trying to manipulate us into giving more treats.
Also the line “Agnès the Min’ture Dachshund Puppy” has implanted itself into my head to the tune of “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” by Warren Zevon.
This doesn’t mean anything in particular really.
It’s interesting that the Monkey-People are described by Baloo as being “everything eaters” and that they “have no law” and are “without leaders.”
In the colonial order of this text, it is dishonorable to not fit into a defined role and threateningly anarchic to not yield to natural authority.
So you know how ostriches have been observed doing courtship dances for humans with surprising frequency?
Well, imagine you’re in the dinosaur park and there’s been a breakout when you’re cornered by a Deinonychus. After staring at you for a time, it ruffles its feathers and starts to dance.
Tenochtitlan: “We take after a great empire of warriors and craftspeople that once ruled all these lands.”
Teotihuacan: “OMG, that’s so sweet. 🥹”
Tenochtitlan: “Yeah, we call them the Toltecs.”
Teotihuacan: “What the fuck…”
Tula: “YEAH, BOI.”
