Bravery In Rikki Tavi

“Something went off like a thunderclap just behind him; a hot wind knocked him senseless and red fire singed his hair.” That was an excerpt from the famous story “Rikki TIkki Tavi”. We recently read it in my ELA class. It follows a mongoose named Rikki TIkki Tavi as he tries to protect his newfound family from two cobras that terrorize the bungalow and its garden. When fighting these snakes Rikki Tikki Sometimes gets himself into situations where he confuses bravery for stupidity and ignorance. The first reason that Rikki Tikki is not brave but stupid, is that after an angry nagaina took her egg back he followed nagaina when “she plunged into the rat hole” (p.27) he followed suit. Many would call that brave but he was almost guaranteed to die it was a stupid and pointless decision to go down there. There were other safer ways like waiting at the top of the hole so she either dies of starvation or tries to come out and get killed. He was too ignorant to just wait and without thought just dove headfirst into the hole. He was so guaranteed to die that without hesitation, Darzee the bird, began to sing a song of mourning that insured that “It is all over with Rikki Tikki” (p.27). Clearly going down the hole was a dumb decision and he was lucky to come out alive.

Although he is smart about using a “peculiar rocking, swaying motion” (p.20), he still went in blind and “doing a much more dangerous thing than fighting Nag”(p.20). When fighting, he simply took Karait for nothing more dangerous than a garter snake. This shows that he had no worries or caution when fighting a harmful and venomous snake such as Karait. Had he not had the opportunity like he did when “Karait had lunged out once too far” (p.20). Had Karait simply fought like he was intimidated, maybe rikki would have taken his ignorance one step too far and Karait could easily kill him because he wasn't brave but