09-rikki-tikki-tavi-第2章

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in　the　garden　meant　death　sooner　or　later　for　him　and　his　family；

but　he　wanted　to　get　Rikki…tikki　off　his　guard。　　So　he　dropped　his

head　a　little；　and　put　it　on　one　side。



〃Let　us　talk；〃　he　said。　　〃You　eat　eggs。　　Why　should　not　I　eat

birds？〃



〃Behind　you！　　Look　behind　you！〃　sang　Darzee。



Rikki…tikki　knew　better　than　to　waste　time　in　staring。　　He

jumped　up　in　the　air　as　high　as　he　could　go；　and　just　under　him

whizzed　by　the　head　of　Nagaina；　Nag's　wicked　wife。　　She　had　crept

up　behind　him　as　he　was　talking；　to　make　an　end　of　him。　　He　heard

her　savage　hiss　as　the　stroke　missed。　　He　came　down　almost　across

her　back；　and　if　he　had　been　an　old　mongoose　he　would　have　known

that　then　was　the　time　to　break　her　back　with　one　bite；　but　he　was

afraid　of　the　terrible　lashing　return　stroke　of　the　cobra。　　He

bit；　indeed；　but　did　not　bite　long　enough；　and　he　jumped　clear　of

the　whisking　tail；　leaving　Nagaina　torn　and　angry。



〃Wicked；　wicked　Darzee！〃　said　Nag；　lashing　up　as　high　as　he

could　reach　toward　the　nest　in　the　thorn…bush。　　But　Darzee　had

built　it　out　of　reach　of　snakes；　and　it　only　swayed　to　and　fro。



Rikki…tikki　felt　his　eyes　growing　red　and　hot　（when　a

mongoose's　eyes　grow　red；　he　is　angry）；　and　he　sat　back　on　his

tail　and　hind　legs　like　a　little　kangaroo；　and　looked　all　round

him；　and　chattered　with　rage。　　But　Nag　and　Nagaina　had　disappeared

into　the　grass。　　When　a　snake　misses　its　stroke；　it　never　says

anything　or　gives　any　sign　of　what　it　means　to　do　next。

Rikki…tikki　did　not　care　to　follow　them；　for　he　did　not　feel　sure

that　he　could　manage　two　snakes　at　once。　　So　he　trotted　off　to　the

gravel　path　near　the　house；　and　sat　down　to　think。　　It　was　a

serious　matter　for　him。



If　you　read　the　old　books　of　natural　history；　you　will　find

they　say　that　when　the　mongoose　fights　the　snake　and　happens　to

get　bitten；　he　runs　off　and　eats　some　herb　that　cures　him。　　That

is　not　true。　　The　victory　is　only　a　matter　of　quickness　of　eye　and

quickness　of　footsnake's　blow　against　mongoose's　jumpand

as　no　eye　can　follow　the　motion　of　a　snake's　head　when　it　strikes；

this　makes　things　much　more　wonderful　than　any　magic　herb。

Rikki…tikki　knew　he　was　a　young　mongoose；　and　it　made　him　all　the

more　pleased　to　think　that　he　had　managed　to　escape　a　blow　from

behind。　　It　gave　him　confidence　in　himself；　and　when　Teddy　came

running　down　the　path；　Rikki…tikki　was　ready　to　be　petted。



But　just　as　Teddy　was　stooping；　something　wriggled　a　little　in

the　dust；　and　a　tiny　voice　said：　〃Be　careful。　　I　am　Death！〃　　It

was　Karait；　the　dusty　brown　snakeling　that　lies　for　choice　on　the

dusty　earth；　and　his　bite　is　as　dangerous　as　the　cobra's。　　But　he

is　so　small　that　nobody　thinks　of　him；　and　so　he　does　the　more

harm　to　people。



Rikki…tikki's　eyes　grew　red　again；　and　he　danced　up　to　Karait

with　the　peculiar　rocking；　swaying　motion　that　he　had　inherited

from　his　family。　　It　looks　very　funny；　but　it　is　so　perfectly

balanced　a　gait　that　you　can　fly　off　from　it　at　any　angle　you

please；　and　in　dealing　with　snakes　this　is　an　advantage。　　If

Rikki…tikki　had　only　known；　he　was　doing　a　much　more　dangerous

thing　than　fighting　Nag；　for　Karait　is　so　small；　and　can　turn　so

quickly；　that　unless　Rikki　bit　him　close　to　the　back　of　the　head；

he　would　get　the　return　stroke　in　his　eye　or　his　lip。　　But　Rikki

did　not　know。　　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

night；　trying　to　make　up　his　mind　to　run　into　the　middle　of　the

room。　　But　he　never　gets　there。



〃Don't　kill　me；〃　said　Chuchundra；　almost　weeping。

〃Rikki…tikki；　don't　kill　me！〃



〃Do　you　think　a　snake…killer　kills　muskrats？〃　said　Rikki…tikki

scornfully。



〃Those　who　kill　snakes　get　killed　by　snakes；〃　said　Chuchundra；

more　sorrowfully　than　ever。　　〃And　how　am　I　to　be　sure　that　Nag

won't　mistake　me　for　you　some　dark　night？〃



〃There's　not　the　least　danger；〃　said　Rikki…tikki。　　〃But　Nag　is

in　the　garden；　and　I　know　you　don't　go　there。〃



〃My　cousin　Chua；　the　rat；　told　me〃　said　Chuchundra；　and

then　he　stopped。



〃Told　you　what？〃



〃H'sh！　　Nag　is　everywhere；　Rikki…tikki。　　You　should　have

talked　to　Chua　in　the　garden。〃



〃I　didn'tso　you　must　tell　me。　　Quick；　Chuchundra；　or　I'll

bite　you！〃



Chuchundra　sat　down　and　cried　till　the　tears　rolled　off　his

whiskers。　　〃I　am　a　very　poor　man；〃　he　sobbed。　　〃I　never　had　spirit

enough　to　run　out　into　the　middle　of　the　room。　　H'sh！　　I　mustn't

tell　you　anything。　　Can't　you　hear；　Rikki…tikki？〃



Rikki…tikki　listened。　　The　house　was　as　still　as　still；　but　he

thought　he　could　just　catch　the　faintest　scratch…scratch　in　the

worlda　noise　as　faint　as　that　of　a　wasp　walking　on　a

window…panethe　dry　scratch　of　a　snake's　scales　on　brick…work。



〃That's　Nag　or　Nagaina；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃and　he　is

crawling　into　the　bath…room　sluice。　　You're　right；　Chuchundra；　I

should　have　talked　to　Chua。〃



He　stole　off　to　Teddy's　bath…room；　but　there　was　nothing

there；　and　then　to　Teddy's　mother's　bathroom。　　At　the　bottom　of

the　smooth　plaster　wall　there　was　a　brick　pulled　out　to　make　a

sluice　for　the　bath　water；　and　as　Rikki…tikki　stole　in　by　the

masonry　curb　where　the　bath　is　put；　he　heard　Nag　and　Nagaina

whispering　together　outside　in　the　moonlight。



〃When　the　house　is　emptied　of　people；〃　said　Nagaina　to　her

husband；　〃he　will　have　to　go　away；　and　then　the　garden　will　be　our

own　again。　　Go　in　quietly；　and　remember　that　the　big　man　who

killed　Karait　is　the　first　one　to　bite。　　Then　come　out　and　tell

me；　and　we　will　hunt　for　Rikki…tikki　together。〃



〃But　are　you　sure　that　there　is　anything　to　be　gained　by

killing　the　p