1) A mongoose named Rikki-Tikki-Tavi defends a family living in the desert from deadly snakes. 2) Rikki hunts and kills a venomous cobra that was threatening the family, not knowing it was the mother snake's kin. 3) Rikki then battles the mother cobra and eventually triumphs over it, ensuring the family's safety.

1. Kyle G
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
Johann Hour 3
The Defender
There are things in life that some people can’t explain, and sometimes it is just mother
nature taking its course. When something happens that would be like a miracle in your eyes, to
others, it is just how they live. In the story “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” by Rudyard Kipling, things happen
that people could not explain. Maybe it is a sixth sense or just getting lucky. When a family is
living in the desert, danger lurks about. A deadly snake, no bigger than a rabbit, attacks the
family and they are all left shocked by what happened and what could have happened. At this
point, there is a good friend that the family has made, and they are very thankful for it and the
safety it has provided.
The savior in which the family has was something that most people would never think
of. It was not a human, nor a large animal such as a dog. No, it was a simple, ordinary
mongoose. Saying this, some people may be shocked, when actually, this is how life goes in the
animal kingdom. The main character, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, was a mongoose and as mongooses live,
they have one goal in life, to survive. Well, that is the goal for everyone but mongooses have it
hard. In order to survive in the harsh conditions of desert environments, they have no choice
but to eat snakes mostly for their diet. The family in which had Rikki was in danger from a
venomous snake wanted to get at them. When Rikki had come, it was a different story. He gave
them a sense of security, but also a nervous feeling. He had gone out and hunted for the snake,
knowing she was in the garden. When had found the cobra, he had killed it, not knowing that it
was actually the kin of the mother. An easy kill, it didn’t seem right. When he had found the

2. mother, he had almost died himself and he had eventually, using his agility and temporizing the
battle, conquered the snake. Now knowing the family was finally safe, he could rest easy,
acknowledging the fact that he was indeed the victor here.
When fighting for something you love, there is virtually nothing that can stop you from
your goal. When paralyzed in fear or your brain is scrambled from thought overload, the only
way to get out of it is act. Exactly what Rikki did, he had acted for the thing he loved even
though he was scared. The snake is which he fought, was petrifying, that what it was
symbolized as, something that creeps and is frightening. Yet, it was not the only one with a
frightening look. Rikki, was safety, security for the family and everything around it. When he
had gone to fight the snake, everyone felt they were safe, including his best friend a
hummingbird. What is a true friend? Some people say someone who sticks by your side through
thick and thin. This hummingbird abandoned him when his fight had commenced. Though, dusk
demands sunlight as well, saying that bad things have good in them too. The bird may have
gone away, but it was for his own good, knowing that he would not be able to help Rikki in the
fight. This also goes along with the security of Rikki, letting his friend escape and be safe and
putting himself into danger. Not everyone can say that they have the bravery to do that, to duel
something you are afraid of. When he triumphed over the snake, it was a sense of
achievement, something that would be a destination goal for the weak and the steps he had to
follow in order to get to that goal.
Just like path of life, to get better and to succeed and triumph is just another objective
people would have. In other words, they want to accomplish something bigger than
themselves. When Rikki went to fight the snakes, it was not just for food, but for the people he

3. was defending. It started with the normalcy of life, a family living in their house. Nothing wrong
was in the air. A problem, only seen by the one who causes it, was upon the house. Yet again,
with a problem, there is a solution. When the venomous cobra is being a hazard to this family, a
mongoose comes out of the fray and screens them from harm. This conflict went on
throughout the story and it leads to only one thing, more trouble. This is, unless you get to the
solution as quickly as possible. The solution would be in fact to defeat the snake in order to get
to the resolution of the conflict. After this has been achieved, normality can kick in and begin
the reign upon their life it had in the beginning.
When taking in the facts of life, shocking things can come up and you might not be able
to handle them. Rikki was one of those who could, and acted upon it. This story not only taught
something about him, but an idea about yourself and what you should do in life. This story is
explained in such a good manor, that it would tell a second story about yourself and what you
should do with your life. Not only something that you can learn from, but something you can
live by.