KIPLING, Rudyard. The Jungle Book. London: Macmillan and Co., 1894. The Second Jungle Book. London: Macmillan and Co., 1895. First editions, first impressions. Two volumes, octavo. Original publisher’s blue gilt-decorated cloth. A complete first edition pairing of Kipling’s Jungle Books, among the most enduring works of nineteenth-century English literature and the foundation of the Mowgli stories. The Jungle Book (1894) retains its striking original blue cloth, lavishly gilt-stamped with elephants and riders to the upper cover, the spine decorated with gilt cobra device and titles. The Second Jungle Book (1895) in matching blue gilt cloth, the upper cover featuring the great cobra Kaa coiled in gilt, spine similarly decorated. These designs rank among the most iconic examples of Victorian publisher’s cloth bindings. The first volume includes the earliest appearances of “Mowgli’s Brothers,” “Kaa’s Hunting,” and “Tiger! Tiger!” alongside “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” and other celebrated tales. The Second Jungle Book continues and deepens the Mowgli cycle, introducing stories such as “The King’s Ankus” and “Red Dog.” Together, the two volumes comprise the complete Mowgli canon. Illustrated throughout. The Jungle Book with illustrations by J. L. Kipling, W. H. Drake, and P. Frenzeny. The Second Jungle Book illustrated and decorated by John Lockwood Kipling, C.I.E. Condition Bindings bright and well-preserved, gilt sharp and clear. Minor rubbing and light handling consistent with age. Text blocks clean with only scattered foxing. The Second Jungle Book with a neat early ownership inscription dated December 1895. Complete first edition sets in original cloth are increasingly scarce, particularly when both volumes survive in bright condition. The Jungle Books remain the cornerstone of Kipling’s literary achievement and among the most sought-after works of late Victorian children’s literature. Offered by Arch Books, specialists in significant first editions and finely preserved works of enduring literary importance.