Rikki-tikki-tavi part 3.
"Oh no," exclaimed Darzee so the snake could hear, "my wing is broken and I can't fly." The bird just needed to get the snake away from her eggs. The bird fluttered down the garden path and Nagaina followed closely. Rikki-tikki ran to the melon patch and carried off the eggs. he was carrying the last egg, when Darzee flew over him. "Oh Rikki-tikki, Nagaina has trapped Teddy and his parents on the porch of the house." Rikki-tikki ran as fast as he could. He reached the porch with the last egg in his mouth. Teddy's family had sat down to eat, but none of them moved. Their faces were white as snow. Nagaina stood inches away from Teddy's chair. She was ready to strike at any moment. Rikki-tikki dropped the egg on the floor. He yelled, "Nagaina, I have the last of your eggs here. I have taken all the others from the garden. This is your last one. Leave them alone and I will give this egg to you." Nagaina spun around. She forgot everything for the sake of that one egg. As soon as she turned away from them, Teddy's father grabbed him and pulled him to safety. Now Nagaina turned on Rikki-tikki, and a wicked fight began. The two animals moved round and round in an angry dance on the porch. But Rikki-tikki was very quick. He jumped back with each of Nagaina's wicked strikes. Rikki-tikki forgot about the egg, though. After a few minutes, Nagaina got close to her treasure. Before Rikki-tikki could catch her, she snapped up the egg in her mouth and raced down the steps off into the garden. Rikki-tikki followed behind Nagaina. Darzee flew straight at the snake to slow her down a bit. She gave Rikki-tikki the chance to grab Nagaina's tail just as she slid down into her hole. Deep in the hole they continued their fight. The long grass at the entrance to the hole shook as the two struggled underground. Then the grass stopped waving. All the animals thought that Rikki-tikki had lost. Suddenly, Rikki-tikki's head popped out of the hole. "Nagaina has taken her egg and gone," he said. "She will never come back to this garden." The tiny mongoose was content. He owed Teddy's family a big favor for saving him from the flood. By keeping his English friends safe from Nag and Nagaina, Rikki-tikki had returned the kindness. |