Kipling Letter: I Stole Parts of Jungle Book

A letter from 1895 is raising new questions about the tales of Mowgli and friends. Jungle Book author Rudyard Kipling wrote to an unknown recipient regarding the Law of the Jungle, a portion of the book: "A little of it is bodily taken from (Southern) Eskimo rules for the division of spoils. In fact, it is extremely possible that I have helped myself promiscuously but at present cannot remember from whose stories I have stolen."

An autograph expert bought the letter this month from an antiquarian book dealer, reports the Telegraph. It came from a batch of miscellaneous books and letters, the dealer says. Now, the letter is set for auction by Andrusier Autographs; it's listed for some $3,800. The discovery comes just months after the revelation of another big Kipling find. (More Rudyard Kipling stories.)