09-rikki-tikki-tavi-第4章

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Rikki…tikki　heard　them　going　up　the　path　from　the　stables；　and

he　raced　for　the　end　of　the　melon　patch　near　the　wall。　　There；　in

the　warm　litter　above　the　melons；　very　cunningly　hidden；　he　found

twenty…five　eggs；　about　the　size　of　a　bantam's　eggs；　but　with

whitish　skin　instead　of　shell。



〃I　was　not　a　day　too　soon；〃　he　said；　for　he　could　see　the　baby

cobras　curled　up　inside　the　skin；　and　he　knew　that　the　minute　they

were　hatched　they　could　each　kill　a　man　or　a　mongoose。　　He　bit　off

the　tops　of　the　eggs　as　fast　as　he　could；　taking　care　to　crush　the

young　cobras；　and　turned　over　the　litter　from　time　to　time　to　see

whether　he　had　missed　any。　　At　last　there　were　only　three　eggs

left；　and　Rikki…tikki　began　to　chuckle　to　himself；　when　he　heard

Darzee's　wife　screaming：



〃Rikki…tikki；　I　led　Nagaina　toward　the　house；　and　she　has　gone

into　the　veranda；　andoh；　come　quicklyshe　means　killing！〃



Rikki…tikki　smashed　two　eggs；　and　tumbled　backward　down　the

melon…bed　with　the　third　egg　in　his　mouth；　and　scuttled　to　the

veranda　as　hard　as　he　could　put　foot　to　the　ground。　　Teddy　and　his

mother　and　father　were　there　at　early　breakfast；　but　Rikki…tikki

saw　that　they　were　not　eating　anything。　　They　sat　stone…still；　and

their　faces　were　white。　　Nagaina　was　coiled　up　on　the　matting　by

Teddy's　chair；　within　easy　striking　distance　of　Teddy's　bare　leg；

and　she　was　swaying　to　and　fro；　singing　a　song　of　triumph。



〃Son　of　the　big　man　that　killed　Nag；〃　she　hissed；　〃stay　still。

I　am　not　ready　yet。　　Wait　a　little。　　Keep　very　still；　all　you

three！　　If　you　move　I　strike；　and　if　you　do　not　move　I　strike。

Oh；　foolish　people；　who　killed　my　Nag！〃



Teddy's　eyes　were　fixed　on　his　father；　and　all　his　father

could　do　was　to　whisper；　〃Sit　still；　Teddy。　　You　mustn't　move。

Teddy；　keep　still。〃



Then　Rikki…tikki　came　up　and　cried；　〃Turn　round；　Nagaina。

Turn　and　fight！〃



〃All　in　good　time；〃　said　she；　without　moving　her　eyes。　　〃I

will　settle　my　account　with　you　presently。　　Look　at　your　friends；

Rikki…tikki。　　They　are　still　and　white。　　They　are　afraid。　　They

dare　not　move；　and　if　you　come　a　step　nearer　I　strike。〃



〃Look　at　your　eggs；〃　said　Rikki…tikki；　〃in　the　melon　bed　near

the　wall。　　Go　and　look；　Nagaina！〃



The　big　snake　turned　half　around；　and　saw　the　egg　on　the

veranda。　　〃Ah…h！　　Give　it　to　me；〃　she　said。



Rikki…tikki　put　his　paws　one　on　each　side　of　the　egg；　and　his

eyes　were　blood…red。　　〃What　price　for　a　snake's　egg？　　For　a　young

cobra？　　For　a　young　king　cobra？　　For　the　lastthe　very　last　of

the　brood？　　The　ants　are　eating　all　the　others　down　by　the　melon

bed。〃



Nagaina　spun　clear　round；　forgetting　everything　for　the　sake

of　the　one　egg。　　Rikki…tikki　saw　Teddy's　father　shoot　out　a　big

hand；　catch　Teddy　by　the　shoulder；　and　drag　him　across　the　little

table　with　the　tea…cups；　safe　and　out　of　reach　of　Nagaina。



〃Tricked！　　Tricked！　　Tricked！　　Rikk…tck…tck！〃　chuckled

Rikki…tikki。　　〃The　boy　is　safe；　and　it　was　III　that　caught

Nag　by　the　hood　last　night　in　the　bathroom。〃　　Then　he　began　to

jump　up　and　down；　all　four　feet　together；　his　head　close　to　the

floor。　　〃He　threw　me　to　and　fro；　but　he　could　not　shake　me　off。

He　was　dead　before　the　big　man　blew　him　in　two。　　I　did　it！

Rikki…tikki…tck…tck！　　Come　then；　Nagaina。　　Come　and　fight　with　me。

You　shall　not　be　a　widow　long。〃



Nagaina　saw　that　she　had　lost　her　chance　of　killing　Teddy；　and

the　egg　lay　between　Rikki…tikki's　paws。　　〃Give　me　the　egg；

Rikki…tikki。　　Give　me　the　last　of　my　eggs；　and　I　will　go　away　and

never　come　back；〃　she　said；　lowering　her　hood。



〃Yes；　you　will　go　away；　and　you　will　never　come　back。　　For　you

will　go　to　the　rubbish　heap　with　Nag。　　Fight；　widow！　　The　big　man

has　gone　for　his　gun！　　Fight！〃



Rikki…tikki　was　bounding　all　round　Nagaina；　keeping　just　out

of　reach　of　her　stroke；　his　little　eyes　like　hot　coals。　　Nagaina

gathered　herself　together　and　flung　out　at　him。　　Rikki…tikki

jumped　up　and　backward。　　Again　and　again　and　again　she　struck；　and

each　time　her　head　came　with　a　whack　on　the　matting　of　the　veranda

and　she　gathered　herself　together　like　a　watch　spring。　　Then

Rikki…tikki　danced　in　a　circle　to　get　behind　her；　and　Nagaina　spun

round　to　keep　her　head　to　his　head；　so　that　the　rustle　of　her　tail

on　the　matting　sounded　like　dry　leaves　blown　along　by　the　wind。



He　had　forgotten　the　egg。　　It　still　lay　on　the　veranda；　and

Nagaina　came　nearer　and　nearer　to　it；　till　at　last；　while

Rikki…tikki　was　drawing　breath；　she　caught　it　in　her　mouth；　turned

to　the　veranda　steps；　and　flew　like　an　arrow　down　the　path；　with

Rikki…tikki　behind　her。　　When　the　cobra　runs　for　her　life；　she

goes　like　a　whip…lash　flicked　across　a　horse's　neck。



Rikki…tikki　knew　that　he　must　catch　her；　or　all　the　trouble

would　begin　again。　　She　headed　straight　for　the　long　grass　by　the

thorn…bush；　and　as　he　was　running　Rikki…tikki　heard　Darzee　still

singing　his　foolish　little　song　of　triumph。　　But　Darzee's　wife　was

wiser。　　She　flew　off　her　nest　as　Nagaina　came　along；　and　flapped

her　wings　about　Nagaina's　head。　　If　Darzee　had　helped　they　might

have　turned　her；　but　Nagaina　only　lowered　her　hood　and　went　on。

Still；　the　instant's　delay　brought　Rikki…tikki　up　to　her；　and　as

she　plunged　into　the　rat…hole　where　she　and　Nag　used　to　live；　his

little　white　teeth　were　clenched　on　her　tail；　and　he　went　down

with　herand　very　few　mongooses；　however　wise　and　old　they　may

be；　care　to　follow　a　cobra　into　its　hole。　　It　was　dark　in　the

hole；　and　Rikki…tikki　never　knew　when　it　might　open　out　and　give

Nagaina　room　to　turn　and　strike　at　him。　　He　held　on　savagely；　and

stuck　out　his　feet　to　act　as　brakes　on　the　dark　slope　of　the　hot；

moist　earth。



Then　the　grass　by　the　mouth　of　the　hole　stopped　waving；　and

Darzee　said；　〃It　is　all　over　with　Rikki…tikki！　　We　must　sing　his

death　song。　　Valiant　Rikki…tikki　is　dead！　　For　Nagaina　will　surely

kill　him　underground。〃



So　he　sang　a　very　mournful　song　that　he　made　up　on　the　spur　of

the　minute；　and　just　as　he　got　to　the　most　touching　part；　the

grass　quivered　again；　and　Rikki…tikki；　covered　with　dirt；　dragged

himself　out　of　the　hole　leg　by　leg；　licking　his　whiskers。　　Darzee

stopped　with　a　little　shout。　　Rikki…tikki　shook　some　of　the　dust

out　of　his　fur　and　sneezed。　　〃It　is　all　over；〃　he　said。　　〃The

widow　will　never　come　out　again。〃　　And　the　red　ants　that　live

between　the　grass　stems　heard　him；　and　began　to　troop　down　one

after　another　to　see　if　he　had　spoken　the　truth。



Rikki…tikki　curled　himself　up　in　the　grass　and　slept　where　he

wasslept　and　slept　till　it　was　late　in　the　afternoon；　for　he

had　done　a　hard　day's　work。



〃Now；〃　he　said；　when　he　awoke；　〃I　will　go　back　to　the　house。

Tell　the　Coppersmith；　Darzee；　and　he　will　tell　the　garden　that

Nagaina　is　dead。〃



The　Coppersmith　is　a　bird　who　makes　a　noise　exactly　like　the

beating　of　a　little　hammer　on　a　copper　pot；　and　the　reason　he　is

always　making　it　is　because　he　is　the　town　crier　to　every　Indian

garden；　and　tells　all　the　news　to　everybody　who　cares　to　listen。

As　Rikki…tikki　went　up　the　path；　he　heard　his　〃attention〃　notes

like　a　tiny　dinner　gong；　and　then　the　steady　〃Ding…dong…tock！　　Nag

is　deaddong！　　Nagaina　is　dead！　　Ding…dong…tock！〃　　That　set　all

the　birds　in　the　garden　singing；　and　the　frogs　croaking；　for　Nag

and　Nagaina　used　to　eat　frogs　as　well　as　little　birds。



When　Rikki　got　to　the　house；　Teddy　and　Teddy's　mother　（she

looked　very　white　still；　for　she　had　been　fainting）　and　Teddy's

father　came　out　and　almost　cried　over　him；　and　that　night　he　ate

all　that　was　given　him　till　he　could　eat　no　more；　and　went　to　bed

on　Teddy's　shoulder；　where　Teddy's　mother　saw　him　when　she　came　to

look　late　at　night。



〃He　saved　our　lives　and　Teddy's　life；〃　she　said　to　her

husband。　　〃Just　think；　he　saved　all　our　lives。〃



Rikki…tikki　woke　up　with　a　jump；　for　the　mongooses　are　light

sleepers。



〃Oh；　it's　you；〃　said　he。　　〃What　are　you　botherin