# Kala Nag — The Jungle Book character guide

> Kala Nag in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Nag

**First appearance:** 0007-toomai-of-the-elephants

## Snapshot

An old government elephant who has carried mahouts for three generations, he lifts his feet at Little Toomai's word and remembers roads older than the keddah.

## Who they are

Kala Nag is the great tusker of the elephant-lines, obedient to a boy who has ridden him since before he could walk, and patient under the ankus his masters' fathers wore smooth. He is caught between the dull safety of barracks life and the wild pull of the hills, where the smell of free elephants drifts on the night air. His bond with Little Toomai — and the secret he carries about where elephants dance — makes him the hinge on which the story's wonder turns.

## Relationships

### [Rikki-Tikki-Tavi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/rikki_tikki_tavi)

_friendship_

Kala Nag, the wise old elephant, and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, the brave mongoose, share a mutual respect and occasional cooperation across different stories.

### [Kotick](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/kotick)

_friendship_

Kala Nag and Kotick, the white seal, are both protagonists in separate stories and share no direct interaction, but are linked by thematic parallels of leadership and adventure.

### [Darzee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/darzee)

_social_

Darzee the tailor bird and Kala Nag are characters from different stories with no direct interaction, linked only by the shared universe.

### [Teddy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/teddy)

_social_

Kala Nag and Teddy are characters from different stories with no direct interaction, linked only by the shared universe.

### [Rikki-Tikki-Tavi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/rikki_tikki_tavi)

_friendship_

Kala Nag, the wise old elephant, and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, the brave mongoose, share a mutual respect and occasional cooperation across different stories.

### [Darzee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/darzee)

_social_

Darzee the tailor bird and Kala Nag are characters from different stories with no direct interaction, linked only by the shared universe.

### [Kotick](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/kotick)

_friendship_

Kala Nag and Kotick, the white seal, are both protagonists in separate stories and share no direct interaction, but are linked by thematic parallels of leadership and adventure.

### [Rikki-Tikki-Tavi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/rikki_tikki_tavi)

_friendship_

Kala Nag, the wise old elephant, and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, the brave mongoose, share a mutual respect and occasional cooperation across different stories.

### [Darzee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/darzee)

_social_

Darzee the tailor bird and Kala Nag are characters from different stories with no direct interaction, linked only by the shared universe.

### [Teddy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/teddy)

_social_

Kala Nag and Teddy are characters from different stories with no direct interaction, linked only by the shared universe.

### [Kotick](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/kotick)

_friendship_

Kala Nag and Kotick, the white seal, are both protagonists in separate stories and share no direct interaction, but are linked by thematic parallels of leadership and adventure.

## In the story

### [The Jungle Book](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/chapters/the-jungle-book)

Elephant ridden by Little Toomai, participates in the keddah and the elephant dance.

### [Toomai of the Elephants](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/chapters/toomai-of-the-elephants)

The wise old elephant who has served for 47 years, known for his strength and intelligence.

### [Her Majesty's Servants](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/chapters/her-majesty-s-servants)

Referred to as 'Two Tails,' the elephant who participates in the conversation about obedience.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/kala_nag
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters