Dear John
If respectful parody is considered an accolade then we should recognise that RK deserves this salutation in full measure! The recent messages related to the Whiffenpoof song confirmed this.The messages stirred personal memories of a parody of RK's 'The Law of the Jungle' elegantly printed and framed upon the Gunroom wall of HMS Indefatigable.Whilst serving in this ship I copied the parody of 'The Law of the Jungle' -
' The Laws of the Navy' in my Midshipman's Journal - they are as relevant now as they were then.
Herewith a short extract:
Now these are the Laws of the Navy;
Unwritten and varied they be;
And he that is wise will observe them;
Going down in his ship to the Sea;
As nought may outrun the Destroyer;
Even so with the Law and its grip;
For the strength of the Ship is the Service;
And the strength of the Service the Ship.
RK's influence was profound and far reaching in many spheres.Regrettably, I feel that we as a Society do not do as much as we could in pro-actively emphasising Kipling's contribution to the English language, and 'his place in literature'
Michael Jefferson
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