This reduces us to the necessity of considering not so much their form
and quality as the ideas and doctrines they contain--a barren task but
necessary in order to clear away many misconceptions with regard to Mr
Kipling's work. Regarded as literature, Mr Kipling's Indian tales are
mainly of note as preparing in him that enthusiasm for the work of the
world which, later, was to inspire his greatest pages; as finally
leading him in _Kim_ to a door whereby he was able to pass into the
region of pure fancy where alone he is supremely happy, and as
prompting in him the instinct to simplify which urged him into the
jungle and into the minds of children. But all this has very little to
do with India. So long as we are dealing with Mr Kipling's Indian
stories as in themselves finished and intrinsic studies of India, we
remain only in the suburbs of Mr Kipling's merit as an author. The
Simla tales are not more than a skilful employment of a literary
convention which Mr Kipling did not inherit. The Anglo-Indian and
native tales are the not less skilful work of a young newspaper man
breaking into a storehouse of new material. We are interested firstly
in Mr Kipling's craft as a technician, as one who makes the most of his
theme deliberately and self-consciously; and secondly in Mr Kipling's
point of view, in the impressions and ideas he has collected concerning
the country of which he writes. Until we arrive at _The Day's Work_ we
shall be mainly occupied in clearing the ground of impertinent
prejudices concerning Mr Kipling's temperament and politics. For
though the Indian and soldier tales are as literature not impregnable
to criticism, they can at any rate be rescued from those who have
annexed or repudiated them from motives which have little to do with
their literary value.

We will begin with the Simla tales.