Cookie Policy

Our website uses cookies to understand content and feature usage to drive site improvements over time. To learn more, review our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Skip Navigation
OER Logo

Gentlemen of the Jungle

Page 1 of 3
Checkmark Alert Banner
Did you know? You can access an editable version of this activity: Google Doc or Word Doc
WORLD HISTORY PROJECTAP/ LESSON 6.2ACTIVITYGENTLEMEN OF THE JUNGLEUnless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Gentlemen of the Jungle”, OER Project, https://www.oerproject.com/1PurposeThis exercise will give you a unique way to think about the experience of colonialism, colonial subjects’ reaction to that experience, and some of the difficulties colonial subjects faced in resisting imperial rule. You will be weighing ideas about ownership and power and conflict resolution. This will lay the groundwork for events such as the Sepoy Mutiny and Boxer Rebellion, and will establish a connection again when studying about the wave of post-WWII nationalism and decolonization.PracticesReading, sourcingYou will analyze setting, characters and plot in this fable. You will also be challenged to consider point of view, audience and purpose, which are a part of your sourcing skills.ProcessIn this activity, you will first read a version of the fable, “The Gentlemen of the Jungle”. You will discuss the fable as a source and engage in a whole class discussion about it, led by your teacher.Read the fable to yourself—this is more of a story than the typical article you read in this course, so try to enjoy the change of pace. After you finish, have a brief discussion about the fable with your class. Your teacher will then ask you a few questions, then read the story aloud to you again. After that, you’ll have another round of class discussion.
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT AP / LESSON 6.2ACTIVITYGENTLEMEN OF THE JUNGLE2“Gentlemen of the Jungle”[O]nce upon a time an elephant made a friendship with a man. One day a heavy thunderstorm broke out, the elephant went to hisfriend, who had a little hut at the edge of the forest, and said to him: “My dear good man, will you please let me put my trunk inside your hut to keep it out of this torrential rain?” The man, seeing what situation his friend was in, replied: “My dear good elephant, my hut is very small, but there is room for your trunk and myself. Please put your trunk in gently.” The elephant thanked his friend, saying, “You have done me a good deed and one day I shall return your kindness”. But what followed? As soon as the elephant put his trunk inside the hut, slowly he pushed his head inside, and finally flung the man out in the rain, and then lay down comfortably inside his friend’s hut, saying, “My dear good friend, your skin is harder than mine, and as there is not enough room for both of us, you can afford to remain in the rain while I am protecting my delicate skin from the hailstorm.”The man, seeing what his friend had done to him, started to grumble, the animals in the nearby forest heard the noise and came to see what was the matter. All stood around listening to the heated argument between the man and his friend the elephant. In this turmoil the lion came along roaring, and said in a loud voice, “Don’t you all know that I am the King of the Jungle! How dare anyone disturb the peace ofmy kingdom?” On hearing this the elephant, who was one of the high ministers in the jungle kingdom, replied in a soothing voice, and said, “My lord, there is no disturbance of the peace in your kingdom. I have only been having a little discussion with my friend here as to the possession of this little hut which your lordship sees me occupying.”The lion, who wanted to have “peace and tranquility” in his kingdom, replied in a noble voice, saying, “I command my ministers to appoint a Commission of Enquiry to go thoroughly into this matter and report accordingly.” He then turned to the man and said,“You have done well by establishing friendship with my people, especially with the elephant who is one of my honourable ministers of state. Do not grumble any more, your hut is not lost to you. Wait until the sitting of my Imperial Commission, and there you will be given plenty of opportunity to state your case. I am sure that you will be pleased with the findings of the Commission.” The man was very pleased by these sweet words from theKing of the Jungle, and innocently waited for his opportunity, in thebelief, that naturally, the hut would be returned to him.The elephant, obeying the command of his master, got busy with other ministers to appoint the Commission of Enquiry. The following elders of the jungle were appointed to sit in the Commission: (1) Mr Rhinoceros; (2) Mr Buffalo; (3) Mr Alligator; (4) The RtHon Mr Fox to act as chairman; and (5) Mr Leopard to act as Secretary to the Commission. On seeing the personnel, the man protested and asked if it was not necessary to include in this Commissiona member from his side. But he was told that it was impossible, since no one from his side was well enough educated to understand the intricacy of jungle law. Further, that there was nothing to fear, for the members of the Commission were all men of repute for their impartiality in justice, and as they were gentlemen chosen by God to look after the interests of races less adequately endowed with teeth and claws, he might rest assured that they would investigate the matter with the greatest care and report impartially.The Commission sat to take the evidence. The Rt Hon Mr Elephant was first called. He came along with a superior air, brushinghis tusks with a sapling which Mrs Elephant had provided, and in an authoritative voice said, “Gentlemen of the Jungle, there is no need for me to waste your valuable time in relating a story which I am sure you all know. I have always regarded it as my duty to protect the interestsof my friends, and this appears to have caused the misunderstanding between myself and my friend here.He invited me to save his hut from being blown away by a
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT AP / LESSON 6.2ACTIVITYGENTLEMEN OF THE JUNGLE3hurricane. As the hurricane had gained access owing to the unoccupied space in the hut, I considered it necessary, in my friend’s own interests, to turn the undeveloped space to a more economic use by sitting in it myself; a duty which any of you would undoubtedly have performed with equal readiness in similar circumstances.”After hearing the Rt Hon MrElephant’s conclusive evidence, the Commission called Mr Hyena and other elders of the jungle, who all supported what Mr Elephant had said. They then called the man, who began to give his own account of the dispute. But the Commission cuthim short, saying, “My good man, please confine yourself to relevant issues. We have already heard the circumstance from various unbiased sources; all we wish you to tell us is whether the undeveloped space in your hut was occupied by anyone else before Mr Elephant assumed his position?” The man began to say, “No, but ...” But at this point the Commission declared that they had heard sufficient evidence from both sides and retired to consider their decision. After enjoying a delicious meal at the expense of the Rt Hon Mr Elephant, they reached their verdict, called the man, and declared as follows: “In our opinion this dispute has arisen through a regrettable misunderstanding due to the backwardness of your ideas. We consider that Mr Elephant has fulfilled his sacred duty of protecting your interests. As it is clearly for your good that the space should be put to its most economic use, and as you yourself have not yet reached the stageof expansion which would enable you to fill it, we consider it necessary to arrange a compromise to suit both parties. Mr Elephant shall continue his occupation of your hut, but we give you permission to look for a site where you can build another hut moresuited to your needs, and we will see that you are well protected.”Source: Kenyatta, Jomo. Facing Mount Kenya: The Tribal Life of the Gikuyu. London: Martin Secker & Warburg Ltd., 1938. pp. 47-52.