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Shiv and the Grasshopper

A story from The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling

This story comes from The Jungle Book (1894) by Rudyard Kipling, a collection of tales set in India. Kipling includes songs and poems throughout the book, often sung by characters to their children. "Shiv and the Grasshopper" is one such song, sung by Toomai's mother to her baby. It retells a story from Hindu mythology about Shiva (called Shiv or Mahadeo in the poem), the god known as the Preserver, and his wife Parbati (Parvati). This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised. The story is worth reading because it explores a universal theme—whether care and attention can truly extend to everything, even the smallest and most hidden—and it does so with narrative economy, wit, and a surprising emotional turn. The reader is left to consider what it means to be seen.

Band

Blue · Independent readers, confidentTypical starting range: ages 12–14

Length

long · about 899 words in 3 sections · 2 pictures

Source

The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling

First published

1894

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (10 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Teacher’s Edition (members)

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.

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