Joseph Rudyard Kipling, a turn of the nineteenth- century author, was one of Britain's most distinguished writers of novels and short stories. A prolific writer, Kipling achieved recognition quickly, and his works left an impressive mark on the literary world of short fiction and children's literature.

Kipling was born December 30, 1865 in Bombay, India, the first child of John Lockwood Kipling and his wife Alice. Except for a short trip to England in 1868 for the birth of his sister, Kipling lived in India most of his first five years. Kipling's sister appeared to be stillborn, with a black eye and a broken arm, but was revived by the doctor. This event earned her the nickname Trixie, for her father's description of her as a "tricksy baby."

During the latter half of his stay in India, Rudyard was considered a tiny despot. He was a rowdy, vocal, and...