About the story:

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is an all time popular short story in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling about the adventures of a brave young mongoose which kills a snake to save a little boy. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is a favourite of Kipling fans. The frightening and serious tone of the story is notable. There are some epic features in this story such as heightened prosaic style, songs to the hero. It has often been anthologized and has also been published for a number of times as a short book in its own right.RIKKI TIKKI TAVI

Plot summary:
An English family has just moved to a bungalow in the British Sugauli (former British spelling Segowlee) cantonment in Bihar. They discover a young half-dead mongoose and decide to keep it as a pet. The young mongoose, called Rikki-Tikki, is very friendly with the little son of the English couple. He decides to protect the family when he finds himself confronted by two dangerous, murderous cobras, (Nag) and his wicked wife Nagaina, who had the run of the garden while the house was unoccupied. Rikki first learns of the vicious Nag and Nagina from Darzee the tailor bird who tells them that their little baby was eaten when it fell out of the nest. Rikki feels very sad for Darzee and his wife and decides to protect them. Rikki has had an encounter with the cobras. But his first true battle is with Karait, a small venomous dust brown snake ling which threatens Teddy (the little boy of the family). Rikki is inexperienced. Karait, with its deadly venom and small size, is more dangerous rival than a cobra. But Rikki-Tikki defeats Karait. Nag, at Nagaina's urging, plans to kill the family to get the house unoccupied to have free run of its garden. Nagaina also reminds Nag that their eggs would hatch soon and that their children will need room and calm. In order to kill the "big man" Nag goes to the bathroom where Rikki grabs him by the head above the hood. He (Nag) thrashes about furiously. The man wakes up with the sound and fires both barrels of a shotgun into Nag, blowing him in two pieces and almost hitting Rikki. Nag was thrown on a heap of garbage where Nagaina mourns for him and vows to take revenge. Rikki is aware of the threat. So he enlists a tailor bird Darzee to divert Nagaina while he searches for her eggs. Rikki finds and destroys most of the brood. Nagaina finds the family at the dinner table on the garden verandah "they sat stone-still, and their faces were white" and threatens to kill Teddy, the family's son, with her poisonous bite. Darzee's wife alerted Rikki and he races to the verandah with the last egg which Nagaina snatches and flees to her hole. Rikki pursues her inside. The underground fight is not described. After an unbearably long time, Rikki comes out of the hole in

triumph. He has killed Nagaina. All the cobras are dead now. Rikki spends the rest of his days protecting the family garden where no snake would have the courage to enter.

The Characters in Rikki Tikki Tavi

the Characters we meet in Rikki Tikki Tavi are: The Big Man The Big Man's wife Teddy Rikki Darzee and his Wife Nag Nagina All characters other than Teddy are given generic names. They are not given any individual identity. So The Tailor Bird is called Darzee - which means tailor in Hindi, and Nag and Nagina are also Hindi words for male and female snake. Rikki Tikki is so named by Teddy and his family because of the Tik Tik sound he makes. The big man's name is not mentioned, as he is seen from the point of view of the animals who do not know his name.

Rikki Tikki Tavi - A Brave Mongoose

The story Rikki Tikki Tavi centers around the character and antics of the tame yet brave little mongoose Rikki Tikki Tavi. He is indeed the hero of this short story. Having come by accident into the family of Teddy, Rikki immediately becomes friendly with the people and his extremely curious nature causes him to explore every nook and corner of the big house and its garden. In the garden Rikki meets Darzee and his wife and comes to know of their tragedy brought about by the vicious Nag and Nagina. Rikki decides to teach Nag and Nagina a lesson. From here on Rikki becomes a hero as he saves the lives of Teddy and his family by killing Nag, Nagina and their entire family. He thus also frees the garden of all dangers and all the inhabitants of the garden breathe a sigh of relief. Rikki Tikki Tavi is a rare short story in which the animal character is the main protagonist and the hero of the story. It is one of the finest stories of Rudyard Kipling. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," Rudyard Kipling's famous children's story about the battle between a mongoose and two cobras, seems to be a straightforward tale in which the hero and villains are clearly defined and good triumphs over evil When Nag is first introduced, he is described in simple adjectives that serve to clearly attribute an evil nature to him: This story is an epic, in which courage and skill defeat the forces of evil. The story beautifully creates the world of the Indian bungalow and the garden. The sinister Nag and his wife Nagaina render the Kipling aphorism: 'the female of the species is more deadly than the male.' There is

humor in Darzee. And his wife. The balance of sympathies is well held, the fallacies of Darzee, the realism of his wife, the timidity of Chuchundra versus the bravery of Rikki, the evil Nag, and Nagaina even more savage but more sympathetic, trying to save her children. The Big Man The big man is an Englishman who has just moved, with his son Teddy and wife Alice, into the Indian bungalow where the main action of the story takes place. The big man owns a "bang-stick" a shotgun and when he shoots Nag into two pieces during Rikki's battle with him in the bathroom, Nagaina wrongfully blames him for the death. As an Englishman in India during the late nineteenth century, the big man represents imperial England's presence in India and thus gives a historical and cultural context to the story. He and his family take Rikki-tikki-tavi into their home and thereby earn his loyalty and protection. The big man and his family's gratitude to Rikki for saving their lives earn him a lasting place in their home. Chuchundra A muskrat that lives in the bungalow, Chuchundra is portrayed as a cowardly creature that weeps and whines when he speaks. He tips Rikki off to Nag and Nagaina's planned attack on the big man and his family. Chuchundra's cowardliness serves as a foil to Rikki-tikki-tavi's courage. The Coppersmith When Rikki-tikki-tavi successfully kills Nagaina and emerges from her lair unhurt, the Coppersmith, a bird who serves as the garden crier, announces Rikki's triumph and the demise of Nag and Nagaina to the denizens of the garden. Darzee A tailor-bird who, together with his wife, keeps a nest in the bungalow's garden, Darzee is described as "a feather-brained fellow" because he fails on more than one occasion to competently assist Rikki-tikki-tavi against their common enemies, Nag and Nagaina. Darzee, unlike Rikki, is severely lacking in foresight. He begins to sing a song of triumph after the death of Nag but before Nagaina and her eggs are destroyed, for which Rikki scolds him. His lack of foresight serves as a foil to Rikki's own impetus for action. Darzee also plays the role of a bard. He composes songs about Rikki-tikki-tavi's showdowns against Nag and Nagaina, which are used to highlight Rikki's heroic aspects Darzee's Wife Darzee's wife plays a pivotal role in assisting Rikki against the snakes and is therefore called "sensible" by serving as a decoy to distract Nagaina and allow Rikki time to destroy the cobras' unhatched egg Karait Karait, a small, quick, poisonous snake who lives in the dust, is confronted by Rikki-tikki-tavi when he threatens to fatally bite Teddy. Karait is the first snake that Rikki kills, and his success gives Rikki the confidence to battle against the more dangerous cobras.

Nag One of two king cobras who reside in the garden of the bungalow, Nag, along with his wife Nagaina, are Rikki-tikki-tavi's archenemies. Nag and his wife are depicted as evil. His enormous size "five feet long from tongue to tail" and strength make him a formidable and, therefore, worthy opponent for Rikki, the hero of the story. Prior to Rikki's arrival in the garden, Nag and Nagaina held free rein over the garden. Nag is killed by Rikki-tikki-tavi inside the bungalow when he, at Nagaina's bidding, enters it to kill the human family. Nag's name is derived from the Hindi word for snake. Nagaina Like her husband Nag, Nagaina is characterized as evil. While Nag is foreboding in his size and strength, Nagaina is said to be intelligent. It is she who formulates the plan which Rikki thwarts to kill the human family in order to rid the bungalow of the mongoose, who is her natural enemy. She is killed by Rikki in her lair, to which she flees to protect the last of her eggs. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Rikki-tikki-tavi, whose name is derived from his characteristic chattering noise, is a young mongoose who, at the beginning of the story, has little experience but, by the end, has become a mongoose of legendary strength and fighting ability. He is rescued by a human family and taken into their home after he is swept away from his parents' nest during a flood. As a mongoose, Rikki is the natural enemy of snakes, and his presence in the garden threatens the resident king cobra couple, Nag and Nagaina, who become Rikki's archenemies. Rikki is emblematic of the archetypal hero: he exhibits the qualities of courage, strength, and loyalty, and he uses his virtues to fight evil. Prior to arriving in the garden, Rikki had never fought a snake, and his ultimate triumph over the cobras not only protects the lives of the birds and the humans he befriends, but it also serves as his coming of age. Teddy Teddy is the little boy who lives in the bungalow with his parents. He, of all the human characters, is most fond of Rikki-tikki-tavi. His innocence and vulnerability as a small child make him an easy target for the poisonous snakes of the garden and the most in need of Rikki-tikki-tavi's protection. Teddy's Mother Teddy's mother, Alice, lives in the bungalow with her son and her husband, the big man. She initially has misgivings about keeping a wild animal as a pet, but Rikki later earns her trust and affection by protecting her and her family from the cobras THEMES Courage "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," as a children's story, is designed both to entertain and to disseminate the values of virtuous behavior. Courage, one of the characteristics exhibited by the hero, Rikki-tikki-tavi, is one such virtue. Rikki, knowing that he has to kill Nag in order to protect the human family, is fearful of the cobra's size and strength, but his fear is trumped by his own courage, and he succeeds in killing the snake. He is 4

rewarded for his courage by being deemed a hero and given a permanent place in the home of the humans. The virtue of courage is further emphasized by the story's portrayal of shameful cowardliness; Chuchundra, the fearful muskrat who "never had spirit enough to run out into the middle of the room" is unable to overcome his fear and, therefore, elicits disdain from Rikki and the other garden creatures. Loyalty and Duty Kipling was deeply influenced by the codes of honor and duty. Loyalty especially figures as a theme in "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi." Rikki is loyal to the human family that takes him in, and his loyalty drives him to protect them from the cobras, even to the point of risking death. Rikki also risks death out of a sense of duty regarding his heritage as a mongoose: when he attacks Nag he "was battered to and fro. he made sure he would be banged to death, and, for the honour of his family, he preferred to be found with his teeth locked." Survival Survival is the motivating factor behind the actions of all of the characters, and it seems to be the only law that governs the fantasy world of the garden: the act of killing, for example, is not against the laws of the garden but is consistently portrayed as a means towards the more important goal of survival for both the heroic and villainous characters. This preoccupation with survival reflects the Darwint theory of evolution. Progress and Work Kipling emphasizes the virtue of hard work by contrasting Rikki-tikki-tavi's heroic behavior with the "unsensible" behavior of Darzee. When Darzee, the "feather-brained" tailor-bird begins to sing a song of triumph after the death of Nag, Rikki-tikki-tavi grows angry with him because he knows that Nagaina is still alive and, therefore, his work is only half done: "Oh you stupid tuft of feathers! Is this the time to sing?" "You don't know when to do the right thing at the right time." Darzee further impedes Rikki-tikki-tavi's progress against the snakes by not helping him distract Nagaina from her eggs. Darzee's wife flies off to help Rikki-tikki against Nagaina, leaving Darzee to "continue his song." He is portrayed as foolish in his preference for sitting in the nest and singing rather than accomplishing hard work. The characters of Nag and Nagaina are portrayed as villains in "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi." The use of snakes as a symbol of evil is common in Western civilization Style Setting: the Fantasy World "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" illustrates a trend in children's literature especially characteristic of late nineteenth century and early twentieth century: like the works of Lewis Carroll, L. Frank Baum, Beatrix Potter, Kenneth Grahame, and J. M. Barrie, "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" is set in a fantasy world: a garden populated by animals who can talk and who have distinctive personalities. Setting stories in imaginary places was seen as especially appealing to and appropriate for the active imagination of children..

Anthropomorphism Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics to non-humans, such as animals, plants, and objects. The animal characters in "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" all are characterized by distinct, human-like personalities. Anthropomorphism is commonly found in children's literature and serves to create a fantasy world that is compatible with the active imaginations of children. Anthropomorphism is the key characteristic of fables, simple moral tales, like Aesop's fables, which use animals that can talk to teach lessons about human behavior and morality. Epithet An epithet is an adjectival phrase attributed as a title to a character, focusing on a specific characteristic: for example, in Greek mythology the goddess Athena is often referred to as "Grey-Eyed Athena." In Homer's epics epithets are used to label the heroes, for example "Nestor, Breaker of Horses." In direct imitation, Rikki-tikki-tavi is called "Red-Eye," and Darzee also refers to him as "Killer of the terrible Nag" and "Rikki-tikki with the white teeth." Kipling uses this classical device in order to heighten the act of Rikkitikki-tavi's story and make clear his status as a legendary hero Imitation of the Christian Hymn "Darzee's Chant," the song of praise Darzee sings to celebrate Nag's death, is reproduced at the end of the story. The song, which praises Rikki-tikki-tavi for ridding the garden of Nag, is reminiscent of Christian hymns of praise to Christ: in Christian belief, Christ is the savior of humanity because, by dying and then rising from the dead, he conquered death and opened heaven to humanity. Just as Christ is praised in Christian hymns for saving humanity from death, so the song praises Rikki for saving the garden from Nag, who represents Death for the garden. The use of this hymn device draws parallels between Rikki and Christ and between Nag and Satan.

Question 1 He threw me to and fro . Like hot coal. 1. How had Rikki-tikki killed Nag? Rikki-tikki held Nag by his head in his firm jaw. Nag shook him off violently to escape from his grip, but he could not succeed. He was dead even before the big Englishman blew him in two with shots from his rifle. 2. What was Nagaina up to? Why did she fail in her mission? Nagaina wanted to avenge herself by killing the boy Teddy. She had taken a very advantageous position to strike the boy, but Rikki-tikki came and told her how he had smashed all her eggs but one. Nagaina realized that she had lost her chance of killing the boy. She asked Rikki-tikki to give her last egg and she would go away. 3. What did Rikki-tikki ask Nagaina to do?

Rikki-tikki refused to give Nagaina her last egg. He asked her to fight. He was sure he would kill her soon, and she would be a widow no longer. 4. How was Rikki-tikki tackling Nagaina? Rikki-tikki knew that he must save himself from the big stroke of violent Nagaina. He bounded all round her with his furious eyes burning like hot coals. 5. Was Rikki-tikki able to kill Nagaina? Where did he kill her? Rikki-tikki was able to kill Nagaina. He chased her and bit her hard on her tail and killed her. Question 2 So they wrapped him . Dont be frightened, Teddy said his father. 1. Why did they wrap Rikki-tikki in cotton wool? Who was Rikki-tikki? Rikki was swept out of his burro in a summer flood. He was totally wet and had lost his senses. He was carried into a ditch by the flood water. He was saved by an English family. They wrapped him in cotton wool to give his body warmth. Rikki-tikki was a young mongoose. 2. What did the Englishman ask his wife and son not to do? 3. What are the two distinctive character traits of a mongoose? Fearlessness and curiosity. 4. How did Rikki-tikki behave? 5. What tells you that Rikki-tikki was greedy? How was he a curious creature? 6. How did Rikki-tikki try to be friendly with Teddy? Who was Teddy? Did Teddy become friendly with the mongoose? Question 3 Rikki-tikki knew better than to waste time Nagaina torn and angry. 1. What had happened earlier in the context? (Meeting with Nag, Nag trying to hold the attention of Rikki-tikki while Nagaina was coming behind him, warning by Darzee) 2. Why did Rikki-tikki decide to jump high in the air? To avoid being bitten by Nagaina 3. Who was it that alerted Rikki-tikki of the impending danger? What was the danger? 4. Who was Nagaina? What was her plan? (Write with respect to the extract) 5. Was Rikki-tikki able to harm Nagaina? Why couldnt he kill her with a deep bite? 7

Question 3. He looked at the thickness and around in great circles. 1. Where was nag coiling? What was his plan? Why did he go to sleep? He went to sleep for it was night and the bathroom was cool. It would take a long time before the big man came into the bathroom. 2. What did Rikki-tikki realize? What could he not do? 3. What did he decide to do? Why? He decided to attack the head above the hood. It was not as thick as the neck below the hood and it would also prevent Nag from attacking Rikki-tikki. 4. How did he make the most of his opportunity? Supported his back against the bulge of the red earthenware and held down the head of Nag and had a firm grip on it. 5. How did Nag react when Rikki-tikki held on to his head? Question 4 But the head did not move .no knowing when the eggs she spoke of will hatch. 1. Who had killed Nag? How? 2. What had the Englishman done to kill Nag? 3. How did Teddys parents react when they saw Nag dead? Were they grateful to Rikki-tikki? 4. Where did Rikki-tikki take rest? How did he feel? What were the thoughts that preoccupied him? 5. What bothered Rikki-tikki now? What did he plan to do? Question 5. It was dark in the hole; .. licking his whiskers. 1. What happened earlier in the context? (Describe the scene in Teddys house with Rikki-tikki holding the egg and Nagaina aiming at Teddy, how Rikki-tikki distracted her, how Nagaina grabbed the egg and how Rikki-tikki chased her) 2. How did Rikki-tikki continue his fight? How was it dangerous for him in the dark? 3. What did Darzee say? What was his fear? 4. How did Rikki-tikki come out of the hole in which Nagaina had entered? 8

5. Was he successful in killing Nagaina? How did he feel after accomplishing the feat? Question 6 He had forgotten the egg. . And flapped her wings about Nagainas head. 1. Whose egg was it? What was its significance? The last of the brood of Nagainas eggs. 2. What did Nagaina do with the egg? Why did she run fast? 3. Why did Rikki-tikki have to chase Nagaina? If he didnt kill her then, he wouldnt get another chance and it would be death for the birds and the frogs in the garden and also for the members the Big mans family. 4. Where did Nagaina head towards? How was she delayed in reaching her destination? (Darzees wife flapping her wings about Nagainas head distracting her) 5. Why was Darzee singing a song to triumph? Why was it a foolish act? Why does Rikki-Tikki-Tavi help Teddy's family? How do you know? Explain which sentences in the story led you to draw your conclusion. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi helps Teddy and his family both because the family is kind to him and because, as a mongoose, he instinctively kills snakes. Find sentences in the story that show that Rikki-Tikki-Tavi stays with the family because they treat him well and that killing snakes, for which the family is so grateful, comes naturally to him. "Actions speak louder than words." An author usually does not tell the reader that a character is wise, content, or brave. Instead, the author has the character's words and actions show the character's qualities The following paragraph from "Rikki-TikkiTavi": That night at dinner, walking to and fro among the glasses on the table, [Rikki-Tikki] might have stuffed himself with nice things. But he remembered Nag and Nagaina, and though it was very pleasant to be patted and petted by Teddy's mother, and to sit on Teddy's shoulder, his eyes would get red from time to time, and he would go off into his long war cry of "Rick-tikk-tikki-tikki-tchk!" What conclusions can you draw about Rikki-Tikki-Tavi from his words and actions? Rikki-Tikki-Tavi enjoys the attention from Teddy's family; he does not lose sight of his goal. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is determined, responsible, or self-disciplined.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (mongoose) Lives in India, has a pink nose and eyes, has a fluffy tail, hunts snakes, lives in a burrow, eats meat, has a rocking gait when about to attack, makes a ticking sound when aggressive

Nag and Nagaina (cobras) Live in India, hunt birds, have a hood with a unique mark, can "freeze" prey with their gaze, are poisonous, will bite humans, lay eggs Darzee and His Wife (tailor-birds) Live in India, build a nest by sewing leaves together with plant stalks or spider webs, build nests in shrubs, lay eggs, known for singing loudly

Kipling includes many facts about the animals' appearances and behavior. Do the facts make the story more believable or less believable? Why? The facts make the story more believable. Because Kipling frequently correctly describes the animals' appearances and behavior, their actions, though fictional, seem "real" or "true." Describe the fictional elements in the story - explain what you know was "made up." Explain why the passage is an example of fiction.

"That's Nag or Nagaina," [Rikki-Tikki-Tavi] said to himself; "and he is crawling into the bath-room sluice. You're right, Chuchundra; I should have talked to Chua."

Animals do not have conversations like human beings do. A mongoose could not have a conversation with a muskrat., Find one or more other passages in which animal talks like a human being

Nagaina lifted up her head and hissed, "You warned Rikki-tikki when I would have killed him. Indeed and truly, you've chosen a bad place to be lame in." And she moved toward Darzee's wife, slipping along over the dust. Animals do not try to have their revenge on other animals; vengeance is a human invention. A snake would hunt a bird for food, but it would not seek to kill the bird for revenge. Find one or more other passages in which an animal thinks or acts like a human being. What is remarkable about this story is the stark and often abrupt mortality that is woven through the narrative. Rikki Tikki Tavi is portrayed as a fighter almost from the moment he is introduced.

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