Professor John Gellar serves as the narrator as the tale opens with a grand celebration of the jungle spirit Deva, hosted by Rajah Singh in a land pictured as India though still ruled by a king. A boy named Suresh vanishes into the forest, and his mother Prema pleads to search for him, but is warned that the wild is too dangerous. In a bold act of mercy and fate, Suresh is saved from Sabre the leopard by Bono the elephant, guardian of the jungle’s laws, and Mantoo the Monkey. Deva grants the boy the gift of communication with the animals because of his pure heart. Bono announces to the assembled creatures that Sabre hunted on the sacred Night of Deva, and that Sabre must be brought to justice when the boy is ready to face him. Sabre appears and is rebuked for violating the forest code; he vows to come back when the boy has grown, and the boy is christened Manling, raised by the guardians of the trees. Under Bono’s guidance, the young Manling trains to defend himself for the day Sabre may test him.
As adulthood arrives, the boy has grown into Krishna, who must confront Sabre. At the same time, Anna is arriving with her uncle, the explorer John Gellar, who is chasing a legendary statue tied to the Nāga and the scroll that unlocks all human languages for those whose hearts are true. Rajah Singh pursues the same prize and hires treasure hunter Joshua Hook to locate it, willing to kill to secure both the treasure and a cut of the profits. Rajah Singh’s servant, Sanjay, acts as Hook’s ally and field aid. Hook’s pursuit of Krishna intersects with Gellar’s quest when Hook tries to chase the jungle boy, and the professor explains to Anna the story of the boy raised by animals and the sorrow behind his mother’s heartbreak.
Krishna reaches the Valley of Death to face Sabre. He defeats the leopard in a confrontation that violates the village’s quiet rules by using fire to save Anna, a decision that earns Bono’s reluctant banishment of Krishna to protect him from the anger of the forest’s many guardians. Following Deva’s counsel, Krishna is sent back to the human world. He is found and taken in by Gellar and Anna, who teach him English and the ways of humanity. The narrator notes that Sabre disappeared from the jungle after these events.
A fragile romance blooms between Anna and Krishna. Mantoo’s visit reminds the forest that Bono may regret sending the young guardian back among humans, a tension that lingers as the plot thickens. Meanwhile, Ravi reveals to Hook and Sanjay that Gellar also searches for the statue, and when Gellar discovers his map missing, Hook and his crew seize the moment, capturing Anna and delivering her to Rajah Singh. Reluctantly, Gellar is forced to team with Hook in a bid to obtain the statue, while Ravi fills Krishna in on these new betrayals. Krishna resolves to rescue Anna from Rajah Singh’s palace.
The rescue mission intensifies as Krishna appeals to Bono and Mantoo for help. Deva directs Krishna to enlist Bono’s aid, and the two old allies reconcile before they approach the location of the statue. Deva’s attempt to thwart Hook fails when Hook shoots at him, causing a rift that results in the rock containing the statue breaking open. Sanjay reaches into the fissure to seize the statue and the scroll, and Hook departs with both artifacts along with Anna. Deva grants Krishna permission to pursue Hook as Gellar receives care and healing.
Inside Rajah Singh’s palace, Hook and the king press toward the Alter Room with Anna as a captive. Krishna and Mantoo infiltrate the palace, while Sanjay departs after binding Anna to a column. Hook forces Rajah Singh to recite a prayer that would summon Nāga, the immense cobra. Nāga arrives and judges Hook as unworthy, devouring him in the wake of Hook’s cruelty. Rajah Singh proclaims himself Nāga’s disciple, but the creature declares he does not deserve the honor and transforms Rajah Singh into a pig. Nāga then turns its attention to Krishna and Anna, but Krishna pleads for Anna’s safety. Nāga agrees, revealing that Krishna and Anna are worthy, and before returning to statue form, Nāga instructs Krishna to hide the statue and the scroll so no one will find them. With Nāga’s departure, Anna gains the ability to understand animals as a reward for her pure heart.
The story moves toward its denouement as Professor Gellar recovers, and Ravi resumes his service to him. Krishna contemplates a future where Anna is part of his family and invites her to visit someday, then leaves to reunite with Bono and Mantoo. The frame narration closes with Gellar’s voice-over, declaring that Krishna has returned to the jungle and concealed Nāga’s statue and scroll in a place no one will ever locate.
