The novel Kim is Rudyard Kipling’s only major novel. His huge number of other writings are well loved short stories.

Kim tells the story of a poor white child in India brought up by an opium smoking poor white woman after the death of his father from an opium overdose and his mother from cholera. Although as black as all the other children playing in the bazar, Kim was a white English boy and a leader of the rabble children playing there. Kim’s only three papers from his parents were his sigature, his ‘clearance certificate’ and his birth certificate. The old lady who talk him in after the death of his father sewed these papers into a leather amulet case which she strung around Kim’s neck including a prophecy of a great red bull on a green field.

Kim was as agile and clever as the best of the children running ragged around the local streets and he became an expert in executing commissions by night on the crowded house-tops for young men of passion and intrigue. On one of his busy days Kim met up with a wandering bhotiya, [a Tibetan monk] who was seeking to experience the Four Holy Places before he died.

Kim happily became the monk’s supporter and fellow travellor taking in many of the amazing sites of India and getting into scrapes of all sorts to numerous to mention here. In one of these scrapes Kim ended up being captured by English military men who against his will determined that he must become a student of English language and culture. While Kim was initially very unhappy in what was for him an alien culture, he eventually became a leader in his Christian school accepting the language and finally achieving significant success. At the same time during the major holidays Kim maintained his relationship with his ancient monk and travelled with him throughout the breadth of India.

After becoming a leader of his school with outstanding results Kim resumed his journey with the old man and many others along his path, learning the skills of Indian medicine and care for the needy alongside many dangerous encounters in both war and injury.

Kim survived mighty journeys and very harsh illness in his journeys. Eventually he was able to find a woman to care for the Sahib in his own illness and his “old bag or bones”. “Patience a little!” said the Sahib who Kim had cared for. “We will reach Freedom together. Then thou and I, upon the far bank of the river, will look back upon our lives as in the Hills we saw our days’ marches laid out behind us.

Kim’s story finishes with the Llama happy that his search had ended…for the merit that I have acquired, the river of the Arrow is here. It broke forth at our feet, as I have said. I have found it. Son of my Soul, I have wrenched my Soul back from from the Threshold of Freedom to free thee from all sin—as I am free, and sinless! Just is the Wheel! Certain is our deliverance! Come! He crossed his hands on his lap and smiled, as a man who has won salvation for. himself and his beloved.