Cover of Just so stories

Just so stories

by Rudyard Kipling

First published
1902
Reading level
Easy
Price
Free

About the book

"Just So Stories" by Rudyard Kipling is a collection of origin stories published in 1902. These playful tales explain how animals acquired their distinctive features—why the whale has a tiny throat, how the camel got his hump, and how the leopard got his spots. Beginning as bedtime stories told to Kipling's daughter, who demanded they be repeated exactly "just so," these imaginative fables blend whimsy with philosophy, illustrated by Kipling himself, creating an enduring classic of children's literature.

  • Short stories
  • Children's stories, English
  • Animals

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #2781. Just so stories on Wikipedia.

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