Hathi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hathi |
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| The Jungle Book character | |
Hathi as illustrated by W. H. Drake in the 1895 edition of The Two Jungle Books
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| First appearance | "Kaa's Hunting" |
| Last appearance | "Letting in the Jungle" |
| Created by | Rudyard Kipling |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Colonel Hathi |
| Species | Indian elephant |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Colonel |
| Children | 3 |
Hathi is a famous fictional elephant character created by Rudyard Kipling. He appears in Kipling's well-known books, The Jungle Book (1894) and The Second Jungle Book (1895). Hathi is a large Indian elephant who lives in the jungle. His name, "Hathi," comes from the Hindi word for "elephant".
Contents
Hathi in Kipling's Stories
Hathi is the leader of all the elephants in the jungle. He is one of the oldest and wisest animals. Hathi stands for order, respect, and following the rules of the jungle. He is known for being very patient and never rushing unless he has to.
The Story of How Fear Came
In the story "How Fear Came," there was a time when the jungle animals agreed to a "water truce." This happened during a very dry season when water was scarce. All animals, even predators and prey, could drink safely at the river.
During this truce, Shere Khan the tiger bragged about killing a human just for fun. Hathi then told a special story to Mowgli and the other animals. He shared the jungle's creation myth, explaining how the world and its creatures came to be. He described Tha, who was the Creator.
Revenge in the Jungle
In another story called "Letting In the Jungle," Mowgli learns something important about Hathi's past. Mowgli finds out that Hathi once destroyed a human village. He did this to get revenge because he had been captured by humans before.
Later, Mowgli convinces Hathi and his sons to do something similar. They destroy a village where Mowgli used to live. This was a punishment because the villagers had threatened to harm Messua, a kind woman who had helped Mowgli.
Hathi in Disney Movies
The 1967 Animated Film
Hathi also appears in the 1967 animated movie made by Walt Disney Productions. In this film, J. Pat O'Malley provides his voice. Hathi has a wife named Winifred and a son named Hathi Jr. Their voices were done by Verna Felton and Clint Howard.
In the animated movie, Hathi is a funny and proud elephant. He acts like a British Army colonel, even calling himself "Colonel Hathi." He leads his elephant troop in a marching patrol around the jungle. Other animals, and even his own herd, sometimes find him a bit annoying. He often forgets things, even though he insists that "an elephant never forgets."
His loud marching wakes up Mowgli, who tries to join them. Hathi gets angry when he sees Mowgli is a human, saying he doesn't want "no mancub in my jungle." Bagheera takes Mowgli away. Hathi continues marching but then realizes he left Hathi Jr. behind. When he goes back, he forgets to tell his troop to stop. This causes the whole herd to crash into him, which Mowgli finds very funny.
Later, Bagheera asks Hathi for help finding Mowgli. Mowgli had run away from Baloo. Bagheera reminds Hathi that Shere Khan has returned to the jungle. Hathi agrees to help after Winifred and Hathi Jr. convince him. He orders his troop to start searching. They don't know that Shere Khan heard them and decided to look for Mowgli himself.
Sequels and Prequels
Hathi returns in the Disney sequel The Jungle Book 2. Jim Cummings provides his voice in this movie. Hathi and his troop try to help Bagheera stop Baloo from entering the human village where Mowgli lives. However, Baloo manages to get past them. Hathi tries to chase Baloo across a bridge leading to the village, but the bridge breaks under his heavy weight. This causes him and Bagheera to fall into the river below.
Later, Hathi is seen running away from villagers who are looking for Mowgli and his friends. From Hathi's actions, Bagheera figures out that Baloo is involved in the children going missing.
Hathi also appears as a young elephant calf in the prequel TV series Jungle Cubs. In this show, Rob Paulsen voices him in the first season, and Stephen Furst voices him in the second season. Young Hathi is friendly with the other animal cubs. He is often seen trying to impress his future mate, Winifred. Winifred lives with her herd under human care until a storm separates her from them. That's how she meets Hathi.
Colonel Hathi's Pizza Outpost
There is even a pizza restaurant at Disneyland Paris named Colonel Hathi's Pizza Outpost.
Hathi in Other Media
- Hathi is an important character in the anime series Jungle Book Shōnen Mowgli. In this show, he is the king and makes sure the Law of the Jungle is followed. Like in Kipling's stories, he has three children. A small change is that Chil the Kite acts as his messenger. Daisuke Gouri provides his voice in the Japanese version.
- Hathi makes a brief appearance at the beginning of the Jetlag Productions film The Jungle Book. He is with his wife and son, but they do not speak in the scene.
- Hathi appears in The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story, where Marty Ingels voices him.
- Hathi is a major character in the 2010 TV series. In this version, he has two children named Appu and Heetah, and a wife named Kachini.
