14 minSummaryRead it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What makes a human boy belong in a world of apes, great beasts and constant danger?
In Jungle Tales of Tarzan, Edgar Rice Burroughs follows a young Tarzan as he grows up among the apes of the African jungle. Strong, quick and curious, he still seems small beside the beasts around him. Each encounter tests his grasp of the rules that keep him alive.
These linked stories explore jungle dangers, ape friendships, first feelings and the question of identity. Teeka and Taug shape Tarzan’s life within the tribe, while Mbonga’s nearby community crosses paths with him and the apes. Each tale stands alone, bringing action, humour and feeling for animals to his early years.
What you’ll discover
- A boy among apes Meet Tarzan before the wider world, still learning where he belongs and how to live.
- Friendship and first feelings Follow his ties with Teeka and Taug as feelings complicate life within the tribe.
- Danger at close quarters Face a jungle where big cats and other threats test strength, speed and judgment.
- The roots of identity Consider whether blood, upbringing or the place around us shapes who we become.
- Adventures you can enter anywhere Enjoy self-contained tales that bring together wild action, humour and a feeling for animals.
Who will love it
You will enjoy this book if you like jungle adventure in short episodes, animals with real personalities, and a hero who thinks his way through danger and asks big questions.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- First love reveals Tarzan's loneliness
- Kindness returns when danger closes in
- A word opens questions about God
- Love cannot be taken by force
- Greed turns wounded pride toward revenge
- Thinking ahead can protect the tribe
- Loyalty drives Tarzan into new danger
- The storyteller keeps the questions open
- Tarzan's mind keeps reaching beyond instinct
Who’s who
- TarzanAn English lord raised by apes, who hunts, jokes and wonders about God, and wants someone to love.
- TeekaA playful young she-ape, Tarzan's first love, who becomes a fierce mother to her baby Gazan.
- TaugA sullen young bull ape who becomes Teeka's mate and, in time, Tarzan's loyal friend.
- TantorA huge but timid elephant who enjoys Tarzan's company and repays a rescue with one of his own.
- MbongaThe old chief of the nearby village, who fears Tarzan and uses his witch-doctor to keep his people in line.
- MomayaA sharp-tongued woman of the village who will cross the jungle to find her son Tibo.
- BukawaiA leper witch-doctor who lives in a cave with two hyenas and wants payment and revenge.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook opens when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Jungle Tales of Tarzan in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Jungle Tales of Tarzan
by Edgar Rice Burroughs · 1919
A young ape-man loses his first love, rescues an elephant, and searches for God in the jungle.
Medium level2–5 hours to read20 languages
Learn a language with medium classicsSpanishFrenchGermanItalianJapanesePortugueseEnglishHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeRenews every year · Cancel anytimeHow it works
- Read, large type too
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
“Tarzan of the Apes is a man, and a man must walk alone.”
In short
What does a boy raised by apes do when he falls in love with a she-ape, and then learns he is not an ape at all? Jungle Tales of Tarzan opens with that problem.
Jungle Tales of Tarzan at a glance
- Reading time
- About 4 h 45 min3 h 45 min fast, 5 h 40 min slow
- Length
- 67,900 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1919by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Tarzan loses his first love to Taug
The book opens with a feeling Tarzan cannot name. He watches Teeka, his playmate since childhood, and suddenly sees that she is beautiful. When the sullen young bull Taug sits close to her, the hair on Tarzan's neck rises. The two rivals growl the same claim.
Their fight is cut short by Sheeta, the panther, who chases Teeka across a clearing. Taug runs. Tarzan does not. His grass rope settles on the cat's neck, and he faces the furious animal with only his dead father's knife. The tribe joins in until the panther slinks away.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer. Your place follows you, and you can make the type as big as you like.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1919
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 5 h 25 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Burroughs, Edgar Rice. Jungle Tales of Tarzan. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/jungle-tales-of-tarzan.
Burroughs, E. R. (2026). Jungle tales of Tarzan. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/jungle-tales-of-tarzan (Original work published 1919)
Burroughs, Edgar Rice. Jungle Tales of Tarzan. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/jungle-tales-of-tarzan.
@book{burroughs2026jungle,
author = {Burroughs, Edgar Rice},
title = {Jungle Tales of Tarzan},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/jungle-tales-of-tarzan},
note = {First published 1919}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every eBookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Jungle Tales of Tarzan
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Jungle Tales of Tarzan about?
It is a set of twelve linked adventures from Tarzan's youth. He grows up among apes, falls in love, fights lions and panthers, befriends an elephant, searches for God and plays dangerous jokes on the villagers.
Do I need to read Tarzan of the Apes first?
No. Each chapter is its own tale, and the book explains who Tarzan is and how he lives. Readers who know the first novel will notice that the events fall inside Tarzan's early years.
Who are Teeka, Taug and Tantor?
Teeka is the young she-ape Tarzan loves as a boy, Taug is the bull who becomes her mate and Tarzan's friend, and Tantor is the elephant Tarzan rides and loves. Each plays a part in several tales.
The author
Edgar Rice Burroughs
1875–1950 · American adventure novelist
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American writer born in Chicago in 1875. He wrote novels about Tarzan and novels set on Mars. His first Mars story appeared in 1912 and became the book A Princess of Mars in 1917. He later lived in California and died in Encino in 1950.
“Tarzan of the Apes is a man, and a man must walk alone.”
More by Edgar Rice Burroughs
See all their booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
