Dec 10, 2009

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi | Introduction

Rudyard Kipling’s endearing ‘‘Rikki-Tikki-Tavi’’ initially appeared in 1895 as part of the second volume of The Jungle Book, a collection of children’s stories set in colonial India that Kipling wrote while living in Brattleboro, Vermont. Telling the tale of Rikki-tikki-tavi, a brave and heroic mongoose, and his battle against the evil king cobras, Nag and Nagaina, ‘‘Rikki-Tikki-Tavi’’ is a war story that depicts in the simplest of terms the triumph of good over bad. Emulating the contemporary trend in children’s literature to create imaginary worlds to appeal to a child’s imagination, ‘‘Rikki-Tikki-Tavi’’ takes place entirely in a small garden populated by anthropomorphized birds, snakes, muskrats, and frogs.

By imparting values particularly characteristic of Kipling’s Victorian society, including loyalty, productivity, hard work, and courage, the story serves an educational purpose. ‘‘Rikki-Tikki-Tavi’’ also implicitly affirms the Victorian assumption of British superiority and its faith in the inherent goodness of empire-building.

In its use of suspense and pacing, ‘‘Rikki- Tikki-Tavi’’ is a wonderful example of Kipling’s expertise in storytelling and a testament to why his stories remained popular into the early 2000s. ‘‘Rikki- Tikki-Tavi,’’ both as part of The Jungle Book and as an independent story, appeared in numerous incarnations throughout the twentieth century. As of 2004, numerous versions of The Jungle Book volumes were in print, including a paperback version by Penguin that included a critical introduction by Daniel Karlin.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Summary

A song-like poem serves as prologue to ‘‘Rikki- Tikki-Tavi,’’ prefiguring the battle between the mongoose Rikki-tikki-tavi and Nag, the king cobra. The struggle between the mongoose and snake is the central focus of the story and the poem, which foreshadows the conflict but only hints at its resolution and creates a sense of suspense and expectation before the story even begins.

In the first paragraph the setting and the main characters are introduced: Rikki-tikki-tavi, who is established as the hero, with the help of Darzee the tailor-bird, fights a battle in the garden of a bungalow in colonial India. Rikki’s curious and energetic personality is also established.

Rikki-tikki-tavi, washed by a flood from his parents’ home into the garden of a bungalow, lies unconscious in the garden path. Teddy, the boy who lives in the bungalow, happens upon him with his parents. They take him into the house and revive him. Rikki-tikki-tavi regains his energy and endears himself to the family with his energetic, curious, and friendly nature.

That night he sleeps with Teddy, much to the consternation of Teddy’s mother. 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: the expression of fear and the realistic threat of poisonous snakes foreshadows Rikki’s future conflict with the local king cobras.

The next morning, Rikki explores the garden. He meets the tailor-birds 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 mortal danger to him and his family, emerges to confront 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, the greatest god in the Hindu pantheon, creating a reference to the sacred... » Complete Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Summary