His eyes were all red , and he rocked back and forth , looking for a good place to hold . Karait struck out . Rikki jumped sideways and tried to run in , but the wicked little dusty gray head lashed within a fraction of his shoulder , and he had to jump over the body , and the head followed his heels close . Teddy shouted to the house : `` Oh , look here ! Our mongoose is killing a snake . '' And Rikki-tikki heard a scream from Teddy 's mother . His father ran out with a stick , but by the time he came up , Karait had lunged out once too far , and Rikki-tikki had sprung , jumped on the snake 's back , dropped his head far between his forelegs , bitten as high up the back as he could get hold , and rolled away . That bite paralyzed Karait , and Rikki-tikki was just going to eat him up from the tail , after the custom of his family at dinner , when he remembered that a full meal makes a slow mongoose , and if he wanted all his strength and quickness ready , he must keep himself thin . He went away for a dust bath under the castor-oil bushes , while Teddy 's father beat the dead Karait . `` What is the use of that ? '' thought Rikki-tikki . `` I have settled it all ; '' and then Teddy 's mother picked him up from the dust and hugged him , crying that he had saved Teddy from death , and Teddy 's father said that he was a providence , and Teddy looked on with big scared eyes . Rikki-tikki was rather amused at all the fuss , which , of course , he did not understand . Teddy 's mother might just as well have petted Teddy for playing in the dust . Rikki was thoroughly enjoying himself . That night at dinner , walking to and fro among the wine-glasses on the table , he might have stuffed himself three times over with nice things . But he remembered Nag and Nagaina , and though it was very pleasant to be patted and petted by Teddy 's mother , and to sit on Teddy 's shoulder , his eyes would get red from time to time , and he would go off into his long war cry of `` Rikk-tikk-tikki-tikki-tchk ! '' Teddy carried him off to bed , and insisted on Rikki-tikki sleeping under his chin . Rikki-tikki was too well bred to bite or scratch , but as soon as Teddy was asleep he went off for his nightly walk round the house , and in the dark he ran up against Chuchundra , the musk-rat , creeping around by the wall . Chuchundra is a broken-hearted little beast .
He whimpers and cheeps all the XXXXX , trying to make up his mind to run into the middle of the room .
Karait Nagaina Rikk-tikk-tikki-tikki-tchk Rikki Rikki-tikki castor-oil forelegs musk-rat night wine-glasses