Sher Khan was furious from the pain of his burned feet. How did he burn his paws?
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct Answer:
Sher Khan burned his paws by walking on the red-hot embers of the man’s fire.
Explanation (300 words):
In Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, the character of Sher Khan, a fearsome Bengal tiger, is portrayed as a powerful but also arrogant and often careless predator. The incident of Sher Khan burning his paws occurs in the first story of The Jungle Book, titled “Mowgli’s Brothers.” This event is central to the background of the story and contributes to Sher Khan’s intense hatred of humans and particularly of Mowgli.
Sher Khan’s paws were burned when he tried to hunt humans and got too close to a man’s fire—something that most animals in the jungle fear deeply. Fire, which the animals refer to as the “Red Flower,” symbolizes human power and control over nature. It is something wild animals instinctively avoid, as it represents destruction and danger. Sher Khan’s attempt to interfere with humans, especially by attacking a man’s camp, shows his recklessness and disregard for the unwritten laws of the jungle. As a result, he suffers a severe injury—his feet get scorched by the embers from the campfire.
This injury is not only physical but symbolic. It humiliates Sher Khan and enrages him. He sees it as a personal vendetta against mankind, and by extension, against Mowgli, the human child who is later adopted by the wolves. The burning of his paws also weakens Sher Khan temporarily and leads to him losing a potential meal. His fury over this failure fuels his desire to harm Mowgli, setting up the central conflict of the story.
Thus, the event of Sher Khan burning his paws is a key narrative moment that reveals his character, reinforces the theme of man versus nature, and sets in motion the tension between Sher Khan and Mowgli.