Rudyard Kipling (30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936) was a British author and poet. Born in Bombay, British India^[2], he is best known for his works of fiction The Jungle Book (1894) (a collection of stories which includes Rikki-Tikki-Tavi), Kim (1901) (a tale of adventure), many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King (1888); and his poems, including Mandalay (1890), Gunga Din (1890), and If— (1910). He is regarded as a major "innovator in the art of the short story";^[3] his children's books are enduring classics of children's literature; and his best works speak to a versatile and luminous narrative gift.^[4][5]