Rikki Tikki

Tavi
T his is Kipling’s story of a heroic
young mongoose that saves an
English family from a pair of vengeful
cobras. Originally from The Jungle Book,
it gives young people an introduction
to British-occupied India and young
actors the opportunity to experiment
with characterization. It’s a good story
for looking at “perspective.” Consider
incorporating flutes (recorders) into
the beginning and end of the snake
charmers’ narration.

OF CHARACT
ST ER
CA S

bungalow roaming triumph tuft brood

curiosity stealthily valiant scuttled quivered

46 Read-Aloud Plays: Classic Short Stories © 2011 by Mack Lewis, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 ikki-Tikki-Tavi

Scene 1: A Bungalow in India

This is the story of the great war Rikki-tikki-tavi fought

throughout the rooms and garden of a big bungalow
in India.
When Rikki-Tikki was very young, a flood washed him
out of his burrow and carried him down a ditch to the
middle of a garden.
Look, Mother, here’s a dead mongoose. We should give
him a proper funeral.
Perhaps he isn’t really dead, Teddy. Let’s dry him off.
He’s not dead—just half choked. Now don’t frighten
him, and we’ll see what he’ll do once he’s warmed up
a bit.
Soon Rikki was himself again and, like all mongooses,
he was eaten up with curiosity.
The mongoose motto is “Run and find out,” so within
moments Rikki had run around the entire room, and
then he jumped on the boy’s shoulder.
Don’t be frightened, Teddy. That’s how he makes friends.
Ouch! He’s tickling me.
Rikk-tikk-tikki!
Good gracious, he’s a wild creature! I suppose he’s tame
only because we’ve been kind to him.
Every mongoose is like that. As long as Teddy doesn’t
pick him up by the tail, he’ll run in and out of the house
all day long.
There is much to find out about this family. I shall
certainly stay and find out.
Rikki spent all that day roaming the house.
And when Teddy went to bed, Rikki-tikki climbed
up, too.
I don’t like that. He may bite the child.
He’ll do no such thing. Having a mongoose around is
the surest way to protect against deadly snakes. Why, if
one came into the room right now . . .

Read-Aloud Plays: Classic Short Stories © 2011 by Mack Lewis, Scholastic Teaching Resources 47
 ikki-Tikki-Tavi

Shhh! I don’t want to think of anything so awful. Snakes

are the one thing I hate about India.
And well she should, for a cobra inside the garden walls
brings danger and death.

Scene 2: The Bungalow Garden

The next morning, Rikki met Darzee, the songbird, sitting

on the edge of his nest, crying softly.
What is the matter?
Yesterday, one of our babies fell out of the nest, and Nag
ate him.
That is terrible! Who is this Nag?
Hissss. Who is Nag? I am Nag. Hissss . . . look, and
be afraid!
Out from the brush came a huge cobra, spreading its
massive hood.
Rikki knew a cobra’s business is death.
But a mongoose can’t stay frightened for long. Rikki knew
a mongoose’s business is to fight snakes.
Well, cobra or no cobra, do you think it is right for you to
eat baby birds?
Nag watched the grass behind Rikki, hoping to catch
Rikki off his guard.
Hissss . . . let us talk. You eat eggs. Why shouldn’t I
eat birds?
Behind you! Look behind you.
Rikki jumped up in the air as the head of Nagaina, Nag’s
terrible wife, whizzed past below him.
Hiss. Wicked, wicked birds!
Rikki’s eyes grew red and hot. He sat back on his tail and
hind legs and chattered with rage.
Rikk-tikk-tikki!
But Nag and Nagaina disappeared into the grass.

48 Read-Aloud Plays: Classic Short Stories © 2011 by Mack Lewis, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 ikki-Tikki-Tavi

Scene 3: The Garden and Bungalow, at Night

That night, Rikki went out in the dark and bumped into
Chuchundra, the muskrat.

Errh, please don’t hurt me, Rikki-tikki!

Why would a snake-hunter hurt a muskrat?
Errh, how am I to be sure some dark night Nag won’t
mistake me for you?
I will take care of Nag.
Errh, but those who kill snakes get killed by snakes.
Then what? Nag is everywhere, Rikki-tikki.
What do you mean by that?
Errh, I mustn’t tell you anything, but can’t you hear,
Rikki-tikki?
Rikki listened. He could just catch the faintest scratch-
scratch of a snake on brickwork.
That’s Nag or Nagaina crawling into one of the
bathrooms!
Rikki stole off to the bathroom in the bungalow.
At the bottom of the wall, there was a brick pulled out
for the pipes. Rikki listened. On the other side, Nag and
Nagaina were whispering.
Hisss. Go in quietly. Remember that the Big Man is
the first one to bite. Then we will hunt for Rikki-tikki
together. Hisss . . .
Hisss. Are you sure there is something to be gained by
attacking the people?
When the house is emptied of people, Rikki will have to
go away, and we will rule the garden. Hisss. When our eggs
hatch, our young snakes will need room and quiet.
Rikki tingled with rage. Then he saw Nag’s head come
stealthily through the hole.
If I strike him here, Nagaina will know, but if I fight him
on the open floor, the odds are in his favor. What am I
to do?

Read-Aloud Plays: Classic Short Stories © 2011 by Mack Lewis, Scholastic Teaching Resources 49
 ikki-Tikki-Tavi

Nag waved to and fro, and then Rikki heard him drinking
from the big water jar that was used to fill the bath.
Ah, that is good. Hissss. Now, I shall wait here till the Big
Man comes in the morning. Nagaina, do you hear me?
I shall wait here in the cool till daytime. Then I will strike.
There was no answer from outside, so Rikki knew
Nagaina had gone away.
Nag hid by the water jar, but Rikki stayed still. After an
hour, he began to move, muscle by muscle, toward the jar.
At last, Nag is asleep. I must aim for the head, and once
I am there, I must not let go. O, Rikki!
At the hole where he went in
Red-Eye called to Wrinkle-Skin.
Hear what little Red-Eye saith:
Nag, come up and dance with death!
Rikk-tikk-tikki!
Rikki jumped. He bit and held on. He was battered to and
fro as a rat is shaken by a dog, but he did not let go.
The noise of Rikki being thrown about the bathroom
woke the family. The Big Man came in with his gun, but
Nag was already dead.
It’s the mongoose again, Alice. The little chap has saved
our lives now.
I must get some rest if I am to settle with Nagaina. She
will be worse than five Nags, and there’s no knowing when
her eggs will hatch.

Scene 4: The Garden, the Next Morning

In the morning, news of Nag’s death was all over the

garden. Darzee chirped a song of triumph at the top of
his voice.
Who hath delivered us, who?
Tell me his nest and his name.
Rikki, the valiant, the true,
Tikki, with eyeballs of flame . . .
You silly tuft of feathers! Is this any time to sing?

50 Read-Aloud Plays: Classic Short Stories © 2011 by Mack Lewis, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 ikki-Tikki-Tavi

Give him the Thanks of the birds,

Bowing with tail-feathers spread!
Praise him with nightingale-words,
Nay, I will praise him instead.
Are you listening to me, Darzee?
Nag is dead! He will never eat our babies again.
That’s true enough, but what about Nagaina?
Nagaina called for Nag, but the Big Man tossed him upon
the rubbish heap. Let us sing about the great, the red-eyed
Rikki-tikki!
Who hath delivered us, who? . . .
Stop singing a minute, Darzee. You’re safe enough in your
nest there, but it’s war for me down here.
For the great, the beautiful Rikki-tikki’s sake I will stop.
What is it, O Killer of the Terrible Nag?
Where does Nagaina keep her eggs?
In the melon bed. She hid them there weeks ago.
Fly off to the stables and pretend your wing is broken, and
let Nagaina chase you away. I must get to the melon bed,
and if I went there now she’d see me.
Darzee was a feather-brained fellow, but his wife knew
that cobra’s eggs meant young cobras later on, so she flew
off to trick Nagaina.
When Deezar found Nagaina, she fluttered in front of the
snake and cried out.
Oh, my wing is broken! The boy in the house threw a
stone at me and broke it.
Then she fluttered more desperately than ever.
Hisss. You warned Rikki-tikki when I would have struck
him. You’ve chosen a bad time to be lame.
The boy broke it with a stone!
Before night, the boy will lie very still. Hisss. What is the
use of running away? I am sure to catch you. Little fool,
look at me!
Darzee’s wife knew better, for a bird who looks at a snake’s
eyes gets so frightened that she cannot move.

Read-Aloud Plays: Classic Short Stories © 2011 by Mack Lewis, Scholastic Teaching Resources 51
 ikki-Tikki-Tavi

Deezar fluttered along the ground, piping sorrowfully, and

the snake quickened her pace.
Once Rikki heard them going up the path, he raced to
find Nagaina’s eggs.
I am not a day too soon. The minute these hatch, they
could each kill a man or a mongoose!
A few minutes later, he heard Deezar screaming.
Rikki-tikki, I led Nagaina down the path, and she has
gone into the bungalow, and—oh, come quickly—she
means to strike!
Rikki took the last egg in his mouth and scuttled to
the house.

Scene 5: The Bungalow and Garden

Inside the bungalow, the family was just gathering for

breakfast.
What are we having today, Mother? Something delightful,
I hope.
Isn’t everything delightful in India? Especially after such
a scare!
Teddy, don’t move!
What is it?
There’s a cobra under Teddy’s chair. Stay still, Teddy.
Whatever you do, don’t move!
Hisss. Yes, stay still, son of the Big Man that killed Nag.
If you move, I strike, and if you do not move, I strike. Oh,
foolish people who killed my Nag!
It was then that Rikki entered the room.
Turn around, Nagaina. Turn and fight!
All in good time. I will settle my account with you shortly.
Hisss. Look at your friends, Rikki-tikki. They are afraid. If
you come a step nearer, I strike.
Look at your eggs in the melon bed. Go and look,
Nagaina.

52 Read-Aloud Plays: Classic Short Stories © 2011 by Mack Lewis, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 ikki-Tikki-Tavi

The big snake turned half round and saw the one egg
Rikki had brought with him.
Ah-h! Give it to me.
What price for a snake’s egg? For a young king cobra? For
the last, the very last of the brood?
Nagaina spun clear round, forgetting everything for the
sake of the one egg.
Teddy’s father shot out a big hand, caught Teddy by the
shoulder, and dragged him across the table, out of reach of
Nagaina.
Tricked! Tricked! Tricked! Rikk-tikk-tikk! The boy is safe,
and it was I—I who caught Nag by the hood last night in
the bathroom.
Then he began to jump, all four feet together, his head
close to the floor.
It was over before the Big Man came. I did it. Rikk-tikk-
tikki! Come, Nagaina, come and fight with me.
Give me the egg! Hisss. Give me the last of my eggs, and
I will go away.
Yes, you will go away, and you will never come back.
Fight, widow! Fight!
Eye to eye and head to head,
This shall end when one is dead;
Turn for turn and twist for twist—
Hah! The hooded Death has missed!
Rikki-tikki was staying just out of reach of Nagaina’s bite,
his little eyes like hot coals.
Rikk-tikk-tikki!
Again and again she struck, each time coming within a
whisker of Rikki.
Rikk-tikk-tikki!
The egg still lay on the floor, till at last Nagaina snatched
it in her mouth and flew like an arrow down the path with
Rikki-tikki right behind her.
There, Father, the snake has gone into that hole! Rikki’s
little white teeth were clenched on her tail, and he went
down with her!

Read-Aloud Plays: Classic Short Stories © 2011 by Mack Lewis, Scholastic Teaching Resources 53
 ikki-Tikki-Tavi

We can only hope he survives. Very few mongooses care to

follow a cobra into its hole. In the dark, they never know
when it might open out and give the cobra room to turn
and strike.
Oh, how very awful!
The family watched and listened, but for a long time all
was silent down the hole.
It is all over for Rikki-tikki! We must sing his death song,
for Nagaina has surely killed him underground. Valiant
Rikki-tikki is dead!
Darzee cleared his throat and bowed his head when,
suddenly, the grass by the hole quivered.
Here he is! Here is our Rikki at last!
Why, hooray! Our mongoose has done it again!
It is all over. Nagaina will never come out again.
This set everyone in the garden singing.
Give him the Thanks of the birds,
Bowing with tail-feathers spread!
Praise him with nightingale-words,
Nay, I will praise him instead.
Rikki-tikki had a right to be proud of himself—but he
did not grow too proud.
And he kept that garden as a mongoose should keep it,
with tooth and jump and spring and bit, till never
a cobra dared show its head inside the walls.
Who hath delivered us, who?
Tell me his nest and his name.
Rikki, the valiant, the true,
Tikki, with eyeballs of flame!

54 Read-Aloud Plays: Classic Short Stories © 2011 by Mack Lewis, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date: ________________________

Literary Elements/Story Discussion

10

68 Read-Aloud Plays: Classic Short Stories © 2011 by Mack Lewis, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Play Performance Scoring Guide
Student: __________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________________ Grade Level: _______________

Play: ___________________________________________________________________ Part: ___________________________________________________

69
Read-Aloud Plays: Classic Short Stories © 2011 by Mack Lewis, Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Discussion Questions Answer Key

This story takes place during the era of

Snake eggs hatch into snakes, which will
England’s occupation of India (1800s) in
be just as dangerous as their parents.
the bungalow of English citizens working
there.
The story is unrealistic because the animals
talk to one another, although from the
Cobras are too dangerous for the garden;
perspective of the Big Man and his family,
Rikki must protect the garden’s residents.
who conceivably hear only chattering from
the creatures, it could be construed as
realistic.
Answers will vary. Some students may talk
about “the natural order” and “the circle of
life.” Others may talk about birds already
Personification means non-humans
being “alive.” Some creative thinker might
demonstrating human emotions and traits.
answer, “Rikk-tikk-tikki.”
The animals talking and thinking like
humans is a form of personification.
Rikki is presented as brave or valiant,
while Chuchundra is weak and frightened.
Most of the story is from Rikki’s
Chuchundra’s character is meant to show
perspective (although the family’s
that the garden creatures live in constant
perspective is also seen, such as in scenes 1
fear of the cobras.
and 5). The story is much different from
the perspective of the cobras.
The water jar shows that this story
happened in the distant past, before people
One theme is courage. Rikki fights the
had houses with full plumbing.
cobras and defends the garden. His
courage leads to him becoming a hero.

70
Read-Aloud Plays: Classic Short Stories © 2011 by Mack Lewis, Scholastic Teaching Resources