Plain Tales from the Hills contains 40 stories written by Rudyard Kipling, the author of The Jungle Book and Kim. Published in 1888, this was the first short story collection by Kipling. With the geographical meaning of "Plain" contrasted with "Hills", the title’s pun hints at both the cleverly simple narrative style of the stories, and that many of the them are situated in the Hill Station of Simla, which served as the British Raj’s capital during the hot months.