"Now this is the next tale, and it tells how the Camel got his big hump..." Once upon a time, when the world was "new-and-all," Man turned to the animals for help—to the horse for carrying, the dog for fetching, the ox for plowing. But the camel refused to do a lick of work, haughtily replying "Humpf!" to all requests. The other animals complained of the inequity to the Djinn of all the Deserts, who, sympathetic but mischievous, used his powerful magic to punish the lazy camel. This beloved story of how the camel got his hump is a comical tale of justice delivered, that's filled with fanciful wordplay and illustrated with wit and great charm by the incomparable Lisbeth Zwerger. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) is often regarded as the unofficial Laureate of the British Empire. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907, and is well known for works of fiction that include 'The Jungle Book' (1894), 'Kim' (1901), and many short stories, including 'The Man Who Would Be King' (1888). His poems include 'Mandalay', 'Gunga Din', 'The Gods of the Copybook Headings' (1919), 'The White Man's Burden' (1899), and 'If—' (1910). He is regarded as a major innovator in the art of the short story, and his children's books are considered timeless classics of children's literature.
Author
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was a journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist. Kipling's works of fiction include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901), and many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King (1888). His poems include Mandalay (1890), Gunga Din (1890), The Gods of the Copybook Headings (1919), The White Man's Burden (1899), and If— (1910). He is regarded as a major innovator in the art of the short story; his children's books are classics of children's literature; and one critic described his work as exhibiting "a versatile and luminous narrative gift". Kipling was one of the most popular writers in the United Kingdom, in both prose and verse, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Henry James said: "Kipling strikes me personally as the most complete man of genius (as distinct from fine intelligence) that I have ever known." In 1907, at the age of 41, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first English-language writer to receive the prize, and its youngest recipient to date. He was also sounded out for the British Poet Laureateship and on several occasions for a knighthood, both of which he declined. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907 "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author." Kipling kept writing until the early 1930s, but at a slower pace and with much less success than before. On the night of 12 January 1936, Kipling suffered a haemorrhage in his small intestine. He underwent surgery, but died less than a week later on 18 January 1936 at the age of 70 of a perforated duodenal ulcer. Kipling's death had in fact previously been incorrectly announced in a magazine, to which he wrote, "I've just read that I am dead. Don't forget to delete me from your list of subscribers."
