While out hunting, Mowgli helps a stag to free itself from a snare, rather than taking advantage of its situation by killing it. This gesture earns the boy the scorn of his companions, who accuse him of breaking the law of the jungle. A few days later, the stag forces Mowgli into a fight and the boy kills it. Although Mowgli has been forced to respect the ruthless “law of the strongest”, he does not feel proud of himself.