Rudyard Kipling is one of the best-known of the late Victorian poets and story-tellers. In his own lifetime, he was primarily regarded as a poet. Although he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1907, his unpopular political views caused his work to be neglected shortly after his death. Critics, however, recognize the power of his work. "His unrelenting craftsmanship, his determination to be 'master of the bricks and mortar of his trade,' compels respect, and his genius as a storyteller, and especially as a teller of stories for children," writes William Blackburn. Kipling's bibliography includes fiction, including novels and short stories, non-fiction, and poetry, and several of his works were collaborations. Just So Stories, considered a classic of children's literature, is among Kipling's best-known works. Kipling began working on the book by telling the first three chapters as bedtime stories to his daughter Josephine. These had to be told "just so" or she would complain. The stories describe how one animal or another acquired its most distinctive features, such as how the leopard got his spots. For the book, Kipling illustrated the stories himself. The Beginning Of The Armadillos is one of the wonderful Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling. In the story, a tortoise and a hedgehog combine their natural assets and transform themselves into armadillos to escape the hungry attention of a young jaguar. Enjoy free online English audiobook “The Beginning Of The Armadillos” by Rudyard Kipling.
