*10/19 - 10/21 - Literature-Rikki-Tikki-Tavi - pg. 57-64

Describe Chuchundra-

Chuchundra was a muskrat who never came out into the middle of the floor, but always crept around by the wall. He was broken-hearted, and he whimpered and cheeped all night, yet he was helpful in telling Rikki-Tikki-Tavi that the snakes were nearby.

In this story, the animals speak and have other human characteristics. The author states, "Darzee was very like a man in some ways," If Darzee were a man, how would you describe him?

He was a featherbrained fellow who could not hold more than one idea at a time in his head.

Describe Rikki's final conflict with Nagaina and its outcome-

In Rikki's final conflict with Nagaina, Rikki saved Teddy and confronted Nagaina, jumping up and down while she struck at him. Nagaina then ran for her life, and Rikki chased her, clenched her tail in his mouth, and followed her into her underground den where he finally killed her.

How did Rikki come to live with Teddy and his family?

Rikki had come to live with Teddy and his family when he was found lying in the middle of a garden path after a flood had washed him away from his family.

Kipling sometimes describes things by comparing them to something else. For example, whose tail " looked like a bottlebrush"?

Rikki's tail looked like a bottlebrush.

How did Rikki-Tikki-Tavi show his wisdom throughout the story?

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi showed his wisdom by being observant of Darzee's warning of Nagaina's creeping up behind him, by not eating Karait when he killed him so that he could stay alert, by waiting until Nag was asleep and Nagaina was gone before attacking Nag, and by telling Nagaina about her eggs so that she would be distracted and not harm Teddy.

describe Darzee's wife -

She was more sensible than her husband and realized that cobras' eggs mean young cobras later on, so she was for destroying them. She was wise and helped Rikki.

Why did the family want to keep Rikki?

The family wanted to keep Rikki because he could protect them by killing snakes.

These comparisons are called similes. Notice that the words like or as are used in forming a simile. Name some similes from the story.

The rustling of Nagaina's tail sounds like dry leaves blown along by the wind. Nagaina runs like a whiplash flicked across a horse's neck. Coppersmith makes a sound exactly like the beating of a little hammer on a copper pot.