1a. What is the motto of the mongoose family?
2a. Who is Nag?
3a. What is the plan that Nag and Nagaina come up with to regain the garden as their territory?
4a. Who helps Rikki-tikki catch Nagaina?
1b. What does this motto tell you about Rikki-tikki?
2b. Why are Nag and Rikki-tikki enemies?
3b. Why would the plan get rid of Rikki-tikki?
4b. What makes Rikki-tikki particularly brave?
5a. Examine Rikki-tikki's words and actions. Which of these reveal something about his character?
5b. Why does Rikki-tikki fight Nag and Nagaina? How would you describe Rikki-tikki's character?
6a. Summarize this story from Nagaina's point of view.
6b. If you were Nagaina, would you have gone in the house to attack Teddy, or would you have left the garden with your children? Explain your answer.
Personification. What human characteristics do the animal characters in "Rikki-tikki-tavi" take on? How would this story be different if the animal characters displayed no human characteristics?
Conflict. Which character or characters are involved in the conflict in "Rikki-tikki-tavi"? What is that conflict?
1. Suppose Teddy's family could understand and communicate with Rikki-tikki. Create a dialogue in which Teddy, his mother, and his father thank Rikki-tikki for saving their lives. Include Rikki-tikki's responses.
2. Imagine you are Rikki-tikki, the mongoose. Send a postcard to your friends and family describing your experiences with Teddy and his family.
3. Pretend you are the author of this story and you want to change the title. Come up with three different titles for this story. Make sure your titles are creative so they catch the reader's eye.
Writing a Paragraph. Cultivate, a Word From Everyday Use found on page 252, means to prepare for growing plants. In the space below, write a short paragraph about cultivating a garden.
Combining Sentences. If you have several short sentences in a paragraph, your writing might sound choppy. It is very useful to know how to combine sentences that have the same main idea. Review the Language Arts Survey 3.34, "Combining and Expanding Sentences." Then revise the sentences below by combining them.
1. We thought that the mongoose was dangerous. It was really friendly.
2. The mongoose ran as fast as it could. It wanted to escape the snake.
3. The cobra was trying to scare the birds in the tree. The birds in the tree called out to the mongoose for help.
4. Do you prefer the mongoose? Do you prefer the cobra?
5. Cameron's pet monkey used to sleep only a few hours a day. Now he takes several naps throughout the day and sleeps through the night.
6. The mongoose warned the family of the snake. The snake was a cobra.
7. The snake wanted to harm the family. The snake hid in the bathroom.
8. The snake came into the dining room. The snake intended to strike the young boy.
9. The mongoose followed the snake into the room. The mongoose was carrying one of the snake's eggs.
10. The mongoose saved the boy's life. The boy's parents were extremely grateful.
Researching Animals: Using your library's resources, research one of the animals from the story—the mongoose, cobra, tailorbird, or Coppersmith. Keeping track of the resources you use, try to find answers to the following questions: • What is the animal's habitat? What does it eat? Where does it sleep? Does the animal sleep in the day or in the night? • How much does the animal weigh? What is its lifespan? How many babies does it usually have at a time? What unique physical characteristics does the animal have? • What behaviors are unique to the animal? With what other animals does it interact? What animals are its enemies or predators? After you have answered these questions, evaluate the sources you used. Which source provided the most valuable information? Research Log. Use this log to keep track of the sources you use, the information you find, and your reactions to what you learn.
Internet sources:
Books and other print sources:
Answers to textbook questions:
