When I think of Rudyard Kipling (12/30/1865 – 1/18/1936), I think of the last stanza of Gunga Dinfirst:

’E carried me away
To where a dooli lay,
An’ a bullet come an’ drilled the beggar clean.
’E put me safe inside,
An’ just before ’e died,
“I ’ope you liked your drink”, sez Gunga Din.
So I’ll meet ’im later on
At the place where ’e is gone—
Where it’s always double drill and no canteen;
’E’ll be squattin’ on the coals
Givin’ drink to poor damned souls,
An’ I’ll get a swig in hell from Gunga Din!
Yes, Din! Din! Din!
You Lazarushian-leather Gunga Din!
Though I’ve belted you and flayed you,
By the livin’ Gawd that made you,
You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din!

That’s probably because I saw the movie Gunga Din (with Cary Grant) a few times when I was young and have a vague memory of my father reciting the poem. I just remember that Din! Din! Din! part.

I also saw Wee Willie Winkie with Shirley Temple, and I thought that was a Kipling work at some point, but actually it was written by a Scotsman named Willliam Miller in 1841.

Let’s just say I’ve enjoyed Kipling’s works in many forms: Captains Courageous (Spencer Tracy), Kim (a cute little Dean Stockwell and Errol Flynn), and I really like this song Mecca by Gene Pitney

“East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet” comes from Kipling’s The Ballad of East and West.

Read more about Rudyard Kipling on the Authors’ Calendar

Tags: kipling, Music