How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin

By: Rudyard Kipling

Narrated by: Ian Turrell

In this sun-washed tale from Rudyard Kipling’s beloved Just So Stories, a badly behaved rhinoceros learns—quite literally—what it means to live in one’s own skin.

On a lonely island near the Red Sea, a meticulous Parsee bakes a magnificent cake, only to have it stolen and devoured by a rude, button-skinned rhinoceros with no manners to speak of. Weeks later, when the heat drives everyone to the water, the Parsee takes his quiet revenge—filling the rhinoceros’s discarded skin with crumbs that itch, tickle, and torment. What follows is a rolling, scratching, temper-spoiling transformation that explains, once and for all, why rhinoceroses wear their skin in great folds and carry such famously sour dispositions.

Witty, rhythmic, and gently sharp-edged, How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin is classic Kipling at his most mischievous—an origin story that delights in language, repetition, and consequence. Narrated by Ian Turrell, this performance honors the story’s Edwardian charm and sly humor, making it a timeless listen for children and adults alike.

Public Domain (P)2025 Anthony Pica Productions, LLC