How did the leopard get its spots? Why do the tides ebb and flow? How did the elephant get its trunk? And how was the alphabet made? Rudyard Kipling’s classic collection of fables answers the great questions of animal- and humankind in a fun, eloquent and magical way – for children and adults alike. Kipling’s beautifully imaginative answers echo the animal fables he heard during his childhood in India, paired with the folk tales he collected throughout his life.

Kipling’s enjoyment in playing with language, as well as his own delight in fatherhood, makes these stories a joy to read aloud, and children will request these tales as bedtime stories again and again. However, adults will also revel in Kipling’s fanciful storytelling and gift for language, as every reading uncovers a new joke, subtext or fascinating embellishment. From the author of ‘The Jungle Book’ and ‘Kim’, ‘Just So Stories’ is the newest addition to the available canon of Kipling’s work available in the handy format of Collins Classics!