Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Summary A poem is the introduction to Rikki- Tikki-Tavi. The battle between a mongoose Rikki-tikki-tavi and Nag the king cobra. The fight between the mongoose and snake is what the story is about. In the first paragraph the setting and the main characters are introduced Rikki-tikki-tavi, who is the hero of the short story who has the help of Darzee the bird fights a battle in the garden of a bungalow in India. Rikki?s curious and has a lot of energy. Rikki-tikki-tavi washed by a flood from his parents home into the garden of a bungalow lies unconscious in the garden. Teddy the boy who lives in the bungalow shows up with his parents. They take him into the house and brings him back to life. Rikki-tikki-tavi regains his energy and endears himself to the family with his energetic, curious, and …show more content…
Teddy?s father reassures his wife that Teddy is safe with a mongoose because as the natural predator of snakes he would be able to protect Teddy if one were to enter the house and the realistic threat of poisonous snakes foreshadows Rikki?s future conflict with the king cobras. The next morning Rikki explores the garden. He meets the bird Darzee and his wife who are mourning because Nag the garden?s resident king cobra ate one of their babies. As Rikki is conversing with the birds Nag, who knows that Rikki the mongoose poses a danger to him and his family comes and confronts Rikki. He is described as evil and horrid, as well as foreboding in size and strength. Nag introduces himself as being marked by Brahm himself. As Nag faces off with Rikki-tikki Nag?s wife Nagaina, makes a surprise attack on Rikki from behind. However, Rikki escapes unscathed (vocab word) because Darzee warns him in time. The snakes, defeated, retreat into the grass. Rikki, who has not fought snakes before, returns to the bungalow, feeling confident about his quickness against the snakes and gaining confidence in his skill. Teddy runs up the path to pet Rikki, only