Page 93 - English Expedition Class 2

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‘This is a splendid hunting ground,’ he said. Suddenly, he heard sorrowful voices
coming from a thorn-bush.
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It was Darzee, the tailorbird and his wife.
‘What is the matter?’ asked Rikki-tikki.

‘We are very sad,’ said Darzee. ‘One of our babies fell out of the nest yesterday and
Nag ate him.’
‘H’m!’ said Rikki-tikki, ‘that is very sad – but I am a stranger here. Who is Nag?’
Darzee and his wife only shivered and backed into their nest as suddenly, from the

thick grass at the foot of the bush, there came a low hiss. Inch by inch out of the grass
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rose the head and spread hood of Nag, the big black cobra.
‘Who is Nag?’ he said, ‘I am Nag. Look and be afraid!’
‘Well,’ said Rikki-tikki as his tail began to fluff up, ‘do you think it is right for you

to eat babies out of a nest?’
‘You eat eggs. Why should I not eat birds?’ said Nag.
‘Behind you! Look behind you!’ sang Darzee suddenly.
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Rikki-tikki jumped up in the air as high as he could go. Just under him whizzed by
Nagaina, Nag’s wife. Rikki-tikki felt his eyes growing red and hot. When a mongoose
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is angry, his eyes grow red. He sat back on his tail, looked all around him and chattered
angrily. But Nag and Nagaina had disappeared into the grass. When a snake misses its
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stroke , it never says anything.
Rikki-tikki did not follow them because he knew that he could not fight two
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snakes at once. So he sat down on the gravel path near the house and began to think.
That night as soon as Teddy was asleep, Rikki-tikki went off for a walk round
the house. The house was quiet and 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 bite the big
man first. Then we will hunt for Rikki-tikki together.’

‘I will go, but there is no need to kill Rikki-tikki afterward. I will kill the big man
and his wife and the child if I can, and come away quietly. Then the bungalow will be
empty and Rikki-tikki will go,’ said Nag.
Rikki-tikki was very angry to hear this. Then he saw Nag’s head coming in through

the drain. He was frightened as he saw the big cobra.

8 sorrowful: very sad 11 whizzed: moved quickly
9 tailorbird: a small bird that sews its nest 12 chattered: repeatedly made a short, high-pitched noise
10 hood: a snake’s head, when spread fl at to look broad and 13 stroke: hit
scary 14 gravel path: a path artifi cially made with small stones
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