At some point in the past, Hathi was a tame elephant, as he recalls fighting in the Maharajah's 5th Pachyderm Brigade. Every day from dawn to dusk, he marches his unwilling herd all over the jungle. However, his strict orders and constant marching sometimes cause members to consider a "transfer to another herd".

In the song, Kaa hypnotizes Mowgli into a calm, soothing, relaxing trance as he prepares to devour the boy.

Now when you pick a pawpaw
Or a prickly pear
And you prick a raw paw
Next time beware
Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw
When you pick a pear
Try to use the claw
But you don't need to use the claw
When you pick a pear of the big pawpaw

To lift Mowgli's spirits, Buzzie, Flaps, Ziggy, and Dizzy sing "That's What Friends Are For", accidentally giving Shere Khan enough time to corner the man-cub.

Mowgli refuses to leave the jungle until he sees a beautiful young girl coming down by the riverside to fetch water. After noticing Mowgli, she "accidentally" drops her water pot. Mowgli retrieves it for her and follows her into the Man-Village.

The Sherman brothers wrote the vultures song with the Beatles in mind, but the Fab Four turned them down.

When Akela learns that Shere Khan has returned to the pack's land, he decides that Mowgli can no longer stay with the pack and must be returned to the Man-Village for his own good.

After the elephant herd resumes their patrol, Winifred asks Hathi if he's forgotten anything. Though the pompous Hathi insists he never forgets, Winifred notes that he's forgotten their son.

Now, give me the secret, man-cub
Come on, clue me what to do
Give me the power of man's red flower
So I can be like you

Rama is Mowgli's adoptive father.