Then it happened as Tha promised , for the Hairless One fell down before him and lay along the ground , and the First of the Tigers struck him and broke his back , for he thought that there was but one such Thing in the Jungle , and that he had killed Fear . Then , nosing above the kill , he heard Tha coming down from the woods of the North , and presently the voice of the First of the Elephants , which is the voice that we hear now -- '' The thunder was rolling up and down the dry , scarred hills , but it brought no rain -- only heat -- lightning that flickered along the ridges -- and Hathi went on : `` THAT was the voice he heard , and it said : ` Is this thy mercy ? ' The First of the Tigers licked his lips and said : ` What matter ? I have killed Fear . ' And Tha said : ' O blind and foolish ! Thou hast untied the feet of Death , and he will follow thy trail till thou diest . Thou hast taught Man to kill ! ' `` The First of the Tigers , standing stiffly to his kill , said . ` He is as the buck was . There is no Fear . Now I will judge the Jungle Peoples once more . ' `` And Tha said : ` Never again shall the Jungle Peoples come to thee . They shall never cross thy trail , nor sleep near thee , nor follow after thee , nor browse by thy lair . Only Fear shall follow thee , and with a blow that thou canst not see he shall bid thee wait his pleasure . He shall make the ground to open under thy feet , and the creeper to twist about thy neck , and the tree-trunks to grow together about thee higher than thou canst leap , and at the last he shall take thy hide to wrap his cubs when they are cold . Thou hast shown him no mercy , and none will he show thee . ' `` The First of the Tigers was very bold , for his Night was still on him , and he said : ` The Promise of Tha is the Promise of Tha . He will not take away my Night ? ' And Tha said : ` The one Night is thine , as I have said , but there is a price to pay . Thou hast taught Man to kill , and he is no slow learner . '
`` The XXXXX of the Tigers said : ` He is here under my foot , and his back is broken .
First Hairless Night Tha Tigers browse lair learner lightning tree-trunks