On an uninhabited island in the Red Sea, a Parsi man once baked a magnificent cake filled with plums and raisins. Just as he prepared to eat it, a Rhinoceros with smooth, tight skin and no manners emerged from the desert and ate the cake whole. The Parsi, seeking justice, waited for a heatwave. When the sun grew scorching, the Rhinoceros took off his skin—which buttoned underneath—to bathe in the sea. While the beast swam, the Parsi filled the discarded skin with old, dry, prickly cake crumbs. When the Rhinoceros dressed again, the crumbs tickled and itched so fiercely that he rubbed himself against trees in a frenzy. He rubbed so hard that his skin formed deep, permanent folds and wrinkles, but he could never scratch the crumbs out. To this day, the rhinoceros has thick, folded skin and a very bad temper because of those crumbs.
Greed and bad manners lead to uncomfortable consequences, and one should respect the property of others.
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Questions about this story
What is the moral of How the Rhinoceros Got Its Skin?
The moral is that greed and bad manners have uncomfortable consequences. It teaches that one should respect the property and hard work of others to avoid retaliation.
Who is the author of this story?
The story was written by Rudyard Kipling and published in his 1902 collection titled 'Just So Stories.' These tales were originally told to his children.
Why did the Parsi put crumbs in the rhino's skin?
The Parsi wanted to punish the rhinoceros for stealing and eating his special cake. The dry, prickly crumbs acted as a permanent irritant inside the rhino's skin.
Where does the story take place?
The setting is an uninhabited island by the shores of the Red Sea. This exotic location is a recurring feature in Kipling’s animal origin myths.
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