I like Kipling ....I'm sure anyone who knows me here is absolutely shocked by that admission.
He knew his tribe.
W/O looking ahead, I'm going to bet the race hustlas are downthread preening....hope I'm wrong.
He wasn't always right, but he got a good percentage.
And he did indeed know his tribe well. If you want the true flavor of "the England of folklore and song," read his late short stories. I can heartily recommend "Friendly Brook," "My Son's Wife," "An Habitation Enforced," "The Tree of Justice," and "The Gardener." You will find them all here, the complete works of Kipling on-line.