Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

Al cavo ubi ille entrava

At the hole where he went in

Oculo Rubie a Pelle Rugose vocava.

Red-Eye called to Wrinkle-Skin.

Audi lo que parve Oculo Rubie dice:

Hear what little Red-Eye saith:

"Nag, veni e dansa con le morte!"

"Nag, come up and dance with death!"

Capite a capite e oculo a oculo,

Eye to eye and head to head,

(Tene le mesura, Nag.)

(Keep the measure, Nag.)

Isto se finira con le morte de uno;

This shall end when one is dead;

(A tu placer, Nag.)

(At thy pleasure, Nag.)

Torno pro torno e torto pro torto–

Turn for turn and twist for twist–

(Curre e cela te, Nag.)

(Run and hide thee, Nag.)

Ha! Le Morte incappuciate non ha colpava!

Hah! The hooded Death has missed!

(Fato te attende, Nag!)

(Woe betide thee, Nag!)

Isto es le historia del grande guerra que Rikki-tikki-tavi luctava solo, per le cameras de banio del grande bungalow in canton Segauli. Darzi, le orthotomo, le adjutava, e Chuchundra, le ratto muscate, qui nunquam entra le centro del pavimento, ma sempre repe per le muro, le dava consilio, ma Rikki-tikki se mesme faceva le ver lucta.

This is the story of the great war that Rikki-tikki-tavi fought single-handed, through the bath-rooms of the big bungalow in Segowlee cantonment. Darzee, the Tailorbird, helped him, and Chuchundra, the musk-rat, who never comes out into the middle of the floor, but always creeps round by the wall, gave him advice, but Rikki-tikki did the real fighting.

Ille esseva un mangusta, un poco como un parve catto in su pelle e su cauda, ma bastante como un mustela in su capite e su comportamento. Su oculos e le fin de su naso impatiente esseva rosate. Ille poteva grattar se ubicunque ille voleva con qualcunque pede, anterior o posterior, que ille seligeva usar. Ille poteva facer que su cauda sembleva un brossa pro bottilias, e su crito de guerra quando ille curreva per le herbas longe esseva: "Rikk-tikk-tikki-tikki-tchk!"

He was a mongoose, rather like a little cat in his fur and his tail, but quite like a weasel in his head and his habits. His eyes and the end of his restless nose were pink. He could scratch himself anywhere he pleased with any leg, front or back, that he chose to use. He could fluff up his tail till it looked like a bottle brush, and his war cry as he scuttled through the long grass was: "Rikk-tikk-tikki-tikki-tchk!"

Un die, un diluvio alte de estate le lavava ex le coniliera ubi ille habitava con su patre e matre, e le portava, colpante le pedes e critante, per un fossato al bordo del cammino. Ille trovava un pecietta de herbas flottante la, e se adhereva a illo usque ille perdeva su sensos. Quando ille se resuscitava, ille cubava in le calor del sol in le medio de un semita per un jardin, multissimo disordinate, e un pueretto diceva, "Ecce un mangusta morte. Vamos ha le funerales."

One day, a high summer flood washed him out of the burrow where he lived with his father and mother, and carried him, kicking and clucking, down a roadside ditch. He found a little wisp of grass floating there, and clung to it till he lost his senses. When he revived, he was lying in the hot sun on the middle of a garden path, very draggled indeed, and a small boy was saying, "Here's a dead mongoose. Let's have a funeral."

"No," diceva su matre, "vamos portar le al casa e essugar le. Forsan ille non es vermente morte."

"No," said his mother, "let's take him in and dry him. Perhaps he isn't really dead."

Illes le prendeva in le casa, e un grande homine le prendeva inter le digito e pollice e diceva que ille non esseva morte ma quasi suffocate. Dunque illes le inveloppava con watta , e le calefaceva supra un parve foco, e ille aperiva su oculos e sternutava.

They took him into the house, and a big man picked him up between his finger and thumb and said he was not dead but half choked. So they wrapped him in cotton wool, and warmed him over a little fire, and he opened his eyes and sneezed.

"Ora," diceva le grande homine (ille esseva un Anglese qui habeva movite se al bungalow recentemente, "non terrer le, e nos va vider lo que ille facera."

"Now," said the big man (he was an Englishman who had just moved into the bungalow), "don't frighten him, and we'll see what he'll do."

Es le cosa le plus difficile del mundo terrer un mangusta, proque le curiositate le consume de naso a cauda. Le motto de tote le familia mangusta es "Currer e discoperir," e Rikki-tikki esseva un ver mangusta. Ille examinava le watta, decideva que illo non esseva bon pro mangiar, curreva circa le superficie del tabula, se sedeva e poneva in ordine le pelle, se grattava, e saltava super le humero del pueretto.

It is the hardest thing in the world to frighten a mongoose, because he is eaten up from nose to tail with curiosity. The motto of all the mongoose family is "Run and find out," and Rikki-tikki was a true mongoose. He looked at the cotton wool, decided that it was not good to eat, ran all round the table, sat up and put his fur in order, scratched himself, and jumped on the small boy's shoulder.

"Non ha timor, Teddy," diceva su patre. "Illo es su maniera de amicar se."

"Don't be frightened, Teddy," said his father. "That's his way of making friends."

"AY! Ille me titilla le mento," diceva Teddy.

"Ouch! He's tickling under my chin," said Teddy.

Rikki-tikki reguardava inter le collo del pueretto e le camisa de ille, aspirava a su aure, e descendeva al pavimento, ubi ille se sedeva fricante le naso.

Rikki-tikki looked down between the boy's collar and neck, snuffed at his ear, and climbed down to the floor, where he sat rubbing his nose.

"Bon gratias," diceva le matre de Teddy, "e illo es un creatura salvage! Io suppone que ille es tanto mansuete proque nos ha essite benevole a ille."

"Good gracious," said Teddy's mother, "and that's a wild creature! I suppose he's so tame because we've been kind to him."

"Tote mangustas es similar," diceva su sposo. "Si Teddy non le prende per le cauda, o essaya poner le in un cavia, ille currera in e ex le casa tote le die. Vamos dar le alique pro mangiar."

"All mongooses are like that," said her husband. "If Teddy doesn't pick him up by the tail, or try to put him in a cage, he'll run in and out of the house all day long. Let's give him something to eat."

Illes le dava un pecietta de carne crude. Illo placeva Rikki-tikki multissimo, e quando ille lo ha finite ille vadeva in le veranda e se sedeva in le lumine de sol e brossava su pelle pro sicar le radices. Pois ille se sentiva melior.

They gave him a little piece of raw meat. Rikki-tikki liked it immensely, and when it was finished he went out into the veranda and sat in the sunshine and fluffed up his fur to make it dry to the roots. Then he felt better.

"Il ha plus cosas pro discoperir in iste casa," ille diceva a se mesme, "que tote mi familia pote discoperir in tote lor vitas. Io certemente remanera e discoperira."

"There are more things to find out about in this house," he said to himself, "than all my family could find out in all their lives. I shall certainly stay and find out."

Ille passava tote ille die explorante le casa. Ille quasi se neca in le alveos, poneva su naso in le tinta in le scriptorio, e lo ardeva al puncto del cigarro del grande homine, proque ille montava le gremio del grande homine pro reguardar le processo de scriber. A crepusculo ille curreva in le camera de Teddy pro reguardar le processo de accender le lampas de kerosen, e quando Teddy vadeva a lecto anque Rikki-tikki montava le lecto. Ma ille esseva un companion inquiete, proque ille debeva levar se e attender a tote ruito durante tote le nocte, e discoperir lo que faceva le ruito. Le matre e patre de Teddy entrava, ante de addormir se, pro reguardar lor puero, e Rikki-tikki esseva vigile super le cossino de capite. "Illo non me place," diceva le matre de Teddy. "Ille poterea morder le infante." "Ille non facera illo," diceva le patre. "Teddy es plus secur con ille bestietta que si ille haberea un can de Saint-Hubert pro vigilar super ille. Si un serpente entrarea le camera actualmente–"

He spent all that day roaming over the house. He nearly drowned himself in the bath-tubs, put his nose into the ink on a writing table, and burned it on the end of the big man's cigar, for he climbed up in the big man's lap to see how writing was done. At nightfall he ran into Teddy's nursery to watch how kerosene lamps were lighted, and when Teddy went to bed Rikki-tikki climbed up too. But he was a restless companion, because he had to get up and attend to every noise all through the night, and find out what made it. Teddy's mother and father came in, the last thing, to look at their boy, and Rikki-tikki was awake on the pillow. "I don't like that," said Teddy's mother. "He may bite the child." "He'll do no such thing," said the father. "Teddy's safer with that little beast than if he had a bloodhound to watch him. If a snake came into the nursery now–"

Ma le matre de Teddy non pensarea de un cosa tanto mal.

But Teddy's mother wouldn't think of anything so awful.

In le matino, de bon hora, Rikki-tikki veniva a jentaculo in le veranda viagiante super le humero de Teddy, e illes le dava un banana e un poco de ovo bullite. Ille se sedeva in cata de lor gremios un post le altere, proque tote mangusta ben educate sempre spera esser un mangusta domestic un die e ha cameras in le qual ille pote currer; e le matre de Rikki-tikki (illa habitava in le casa del general a Segauli) habeva dicite attentivemente a Rikki lo que ille debe facer si unquam ille incontrarea homines blanc.

Early in the morning Rikki-tikki came to early breakfast in the veranda riding on Teddy's shoulder, and they gave him banana and some boiled egg. He sat on all their laps one after the other, because every well-brought-up mongoose always hopes to be a house mongoose some day and have rooms to run about in; and Rikki-tikki's mother (she used to live in the general's house at Segowlee) had carefully told Rikki what to do if ever he came across white men.

Pois Rikki-tikki vadeva al jardin pro vider lo que esseva la. Illo esseva un grande jardin, con solmente un medio cultivate e con arbustos, tanto grande como casas de estate, de rosas a Marshal Niel, tilias e orangieros, gruppos de bambus, e boscage de herbas alte. Rikki-tikki leccave le labios. "Isto es un terreno de chassa splendide," ille diceva, e al pensata de illo su cauda deveniva como un brossa pro bottilias, e ille curreva per le jardin, aspirante ci e la usque ille audiva voces triste in un spino.

Then Rikki-tikki went out into the garden to see what was to be seen. It was a large garden, only half cultivated, with bushes, as big as summer-houses, of Marshal Niel roses, lime and orange trees, clumps of bamboos, and thickets of high grass. Rikki-tikki licked his lips. "This is a splendid hunting-ground," he said, and his tail grew bottle-brushy at the thought of it, and he scuttled up and down the garden, snuffing here and there till he heard very sorrowful voices in a thorn-bush.

Esseva Darzi, le orthotomo, e su sposa. Illes ha facite un belle nido per traher insimul duo grande folios e suer lor bordos con fibras, e habeva plenate le interior con coton e lanugine. Le nido oscillava, durante que illes se sedeva super le bordo e plorava.

It was Darzee, the Tailorbird, and his wife. They had made a beautiful nest by pulling two big leaves together and stitching them up the edges with fibers, and had filled the hollow with cotton and downy fluff. The nest swayed to and fro, as they sat on the rim and cried.

"Que es le problema?" demandava Rikki-tikki.

"What is the matter?" asked Rikki-tikki.

"Nos es miserabilissime," diceva Darzi. "Un de nostre babies cadeva del nido heri e Nag le mangiava."

"We are very miserable," said Darzee. "One of our babies fell out of the nest yesterday and Nag ate him."

"Hmm!" diceva Rikki-tikki, "illo es tristissime–ma io es un estraniero ci. Qui es Nag?"

"H'm!" said Rikki-tikki, "that is very sad–but I am a stranger here. Who is Nag?"

Darzi e su sposa solmente quattava tremulante in le nido sin responder, proque ex le herbas dense al basso del arbusto veniva un sibilo basse –un sono horribile que causava Rikki-tikki saltar vermente duo pedes.

Darzee and his wife only cowered down in the nest without answering, for from the thick grass at the foot of the bush there came a low hiss–a horrid cold sound that made Rikki-tikki jump back two clear feet.

Pois uncia per uncia ex le herbas se leva le capite e cappucio displicate de Nag, le grande cobra nigre, e ille habeva cinque pedes de longor de lingua a cauda. Quando ille habeva levate un tertia de se mesme completemente del terra, ille restava balanciante justo como un tuffo de dentes de leon se balancia in le vento, e ille reguardava Rikki-tikki con le oculos mal serpentin que nunquam cambia lor expression, sin reguardo a lo que le serpente pense.

Then inch by inch out of the grass rose up the head and spread hood of Nag, the big black cobra, and he was five feet long from tongue to tail. When he had lifted one-third of himself clear of the ground, he stayed balancing to and fro exactly as a dandelion tuft balances in the wind, and he looked at Rikki-tikki with the wicked snake's eyes that never change their expression, whatever the snake may be thinking of.

"Qui es Nag?" diceva ille. "Io es Nag. Le grande Deo Brahm poneva su marca super toto de nostre gente, quando le prime cobra displicava su cappucio pro umbrar Brahm del sol durante que ille dormiva. Reguarda, e ha timor!"

"Who is Nag?" said he. "I am Nag. The great God Brahm put his mark upon all our people, when the first cobra spread his hood to keep the sun off Brahm as he slept. Look, and be afraid!"

Ille displicava su cappucio mesmo plus, e Rikki-tikki videva le marca de oculares super le posterior del cappucio que sembla exactemente le parte ocular de un serratura a croc e oculo. Ille habeva timor pro le minuta, ma es impossibile pro un mangusta remaner territe pro un quantitate de tempore, e ben que Rikki-tikki nunquam habeva incontrate un cobra vive antea, su matre le ha date cobras morte pro mangiar, e ille sapeva que tote le affaires de vita de un mangusta adulte deberea esser luctar e mangiar serpentes. Anque Nag sapeva illo e, al basso de su corde frigide, ille habeva timor.

He spread out his hood more than ever, and Rikki-tikki saw the spectacle-mark on the back of it that looks exactly like the eye part of a hook-and-eye fastening. He was afraid for the minute, but it is impossible for a mongoose to stay frightened for any length of time, and though Rikki-tikki had never met a live cobra before, his mother had fed him on dead ones, and he knew that all a grown mongoose's business in life was to fight and eat snakes. Nag knew that too and, at the bottom of his cold heart, he was afraid.

"Ben," diceva Rikki-tikki, e su cauda comencia inflar se de novo, "marcas o nulle marcas, pensa tu que es correcte mangiar avettos ex un nido?"

"Well," said Rikki-tikki, and his tail began to fluff up again, "marks or no marks, do you think it is right for you to eat fledglings out of a nest?"

Nag pensava a se mesme, e reguardava le movimente parvissime in le hebras detra Rikki-tikki. Ille sapeva que mangustas in le jardin significarea morte pro ille es su familia eventualmente, ma ille voleva causar que Rikki-tikki reduce su guarda. Dunque ille abassava su capite un poco, e lo poneva super un latere.

Nag was thinking to himself, and watching the least little movement in the grass behind Rikki-tikki. He knew that mongooses 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.

"Vamos parlar," ille diceva. "Tu mangia ovos. Proque deberea io non mangia aves?"

"Let us talk," he said. "You eat eggs. Why should not I eat birds?"

"Detra te! Reguarda detra te!" cantava Darzi.

"Behind you! Look behind you!" sang Darzee.

Rikki-tikki esseva troppo intelligente a perder tempore in reguardar fixemente. Ille saltava in le aere tanto alte como ille poteva, e justo sub ille passava sibilante le capite de Nagaina, le sposa impie de Nag. Illa ha repite detra ille durante que ille parlava, pro finir le. Ille audiva su sibilo feroce durante le culpo mancava. Ille atterrava quasi trans le dorso de illa, e si ille habeva essite un mangusta vetule ille haberea sapite que alora esseva le tempore a rumper le dorso de illa con un morsura; ma ille habeva timor del colpo de retorno flagellante terribile del cobra. Ille mordeva, vermente, ma non mordeva bastante longemente, e ille saltava del cauda battiente, lassante Nagaina lacerate e irate.

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.

"Impie, impie Darzi!" diceva Nag, flagellante tanto alte como ille poteva attinger verso le nido in le spino. Ma Darzi lo ha construite ex le extension de serpentes, e illo oscillava.

"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 sentiva que su oculos deveniva rubie e calide (quando le oculos de un mangusta deveniva rubie, ille es irate), e ille se sedeva super su cauda e gambas posterior como un parve kanguru, e reguardava circa se mesme, e garrulava con rabia. Ma Nag e Nagaina habeva disparite a in le herbas. Quando un serpente manca su colpo, illo nunquam dice alique o da un indication de lo que illo intende de facer proximo. Rikki-tikki non desirava a sequer los, pro que ille non se sentiva secur que ille poteva arrangiar duo serpentes a un vice. Dunque ille trottava per semita de gravellas presso del casa, e se sedeva pro pensar. Illo esseva un cosa seriose pro ille.

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.

Si on ha legite le libros vetule de historia natural, on trova que illos dice que quando le mangusta lucta le serpente e per fortuna recipe un morsura, ille currera e mangiara alicun herbas le qual le sana. Illo non es ver. Le victoria es mermente un question de rapiditate de oculo e rapiditate de pede – colpo del serpente contra le salto del mangusta – e como nulle oculo pote sequer le motion del capite de un serpente quando illo colpa, isto face que le cosas es multo plus meraviliose que ulle herbas magic. Rikki-tikki sapeva que ille esseva un mangusta juvene, e illo le faceva mesmo plus felice a pensar que ille habeva capace de escappar un colpo del posterior. Illo le dava le confidentia in se mesme, e quando Teddy veniva currente per le semita, Rikki-tikki esseva preste de reciper caressas.

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 foot–snake's blow against mongoose's jump–and 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.

Ma al mesme tempore que Teddy se inclinava, alique serpeva un poco in le sablo, e un voce miniscule diceva: "Presta attention. Io es Morte!" Illo esseva Karait, le serpentetta de color de sablo qui cuba per selection in le terra sablose; e su morsura es tanto periculose como illo del cobra. Ma ille es tanto parve que necuno pensa de ille, e dunque ille face mesme plus damno a gente.

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.

Le oculos de Rikki-tikki deveniva rubie de novo, e ille dansava a Karait con le oscillation peculiar que ille habeva heritate de su familia. Illo pare multo comic, ma illo es un passo balanciate tanto perfectemente que on pote partir illo a qualcunque angula que se place, e in arrangiar le serpentes isto es un avantage. Si solmente Rikki-tikki habeva sapite, ille faceva un cosa multo plus periculose que luctar Nag, proque Karait es tanto parve, e pote virar tanto rapidemente, que si Rikki non le mordeva presso del posterior del capite, ille reciperea le colpo de retorno in su oculo o su labio. Ma Rikki non lo sapeva. Su oculos esseva completemente rubie, e ille oscillava, cercante un bon loco pro tener. Karait colpava. Rikki saltava lateralmente e tentava currer verso ille, ma le impie parve capite del color de sablo flagellava intra un fraction de su humero, e ille debeva saltar supra le corpore, e le capite sequeva su calces proximemente.

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 vocava al casa: "O, reguarda ci! Nostre mangusta occide un serpente." E Rikki-tikki audiva un crito del matre de Teddy. Su patre curreva del casa con un baston, ma al tempore que ille arrivava, Karait habeva colpate troppo longe un vice, e Rikki-tikki habeva saltate super le dorso del serpente, lassate cader su capite inter su antegambas, mordite tanto alte al dorso como ille pote caper, e rolate foras. Ille morsura paralysava Karait, e Rikki-tikki sta preste de mangiar le comenciante al cauda, secundo le costume de su familia a cena, quando ille se memorava que un repasto complete face que un mangusta deveni lente, e si ille desirava a haber preste toto de su fortia e rapiditate, ille debe remaner malgre.

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.

Ille partiva pro un banio de sablo sub le arbustos a oleo de ricino, durante que le patre de Teddy batteva le ja morte Karait. "Que es le uso de illo?" pensava Rikki-tikki. "Io finiva tote illo;" e pois le matre de Teddy le prendeva ex le sablo e le imbraciava, critante que ille ha salvate Teddy de morte, e le patre de Teddy diceva que ille esseva un providentia, e Teddy spectava con grande oculos espaventate. Tote le commotion, le qual, naturalmente, ille non comprendeva, amusava Rikki-tikki bastante ben. Serea equalmente bon a Rikki-Tikki si le matre de Teddy habeva caressate Teddy pro jocar in le sablo. Rikki se amusava completemente.

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.

Ille nocte al cena, vadente inter le vitros a vino super le tabula, ille haberea potite stipar se e tres vices de novo con cosas deliciose. Ma ille se memorava Nag e Nagaina, e ben que il esseva multo placente reciper colpos legier e caressas del matre de Teddy, e seder se super le humero de Teddy, su oculos deveniva rubie de vice a vice, e ille vaderea e comenciarea su longe crito de guerra de "Rikk-tikk-tikki-tikki-tchk!"

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 le portava al lecto, e insisteva que Rikki-tikki dormi sub su mento. Rikki-tikki esseva troppo ben educate pro morder o rader, ma quando Teddy addormiva ille partiva pro su promenada nocturne circa le casa, e in le obscuritate ille incontrava Chuchundra, le ratto muscate, repente per le muro. Chuchundra es un bestietta desolate. Ille geme e pipa durante le tote nocte, essayante trovar le coragia de currer al centro del camera ma ille nunquam lo trova.

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.

"Non occide me," diceva Chuchundra, quasi plorante. "Rikki-tikki, non occide me!"

"Don't kill me," said Chuchundra, almost weeping. "Rikki-tikki, don't kill me!"

"Pensa tu que un assassino de serpentes occide rattos muscate?" diceva Rikki-tikki disdignosemente.

"Do you think a snake-killer kills muskrats?" said Rikki-tikki scornfully.

"Serpentes occide illes que occide serpentes," diceva Chuchundra, plus tristemente que unquam. "E como pote io esser certe que Nag non va confunder me pro te un nocte obscur?"

"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?"

"Il non ha le periculo minime," diceva Rikki-tikki. "Ma Nag es in le jardin, e io sape que tu non va la."

"There's not the least danger," said Rikki-tikki. "But Nag is in the garden, and I know you don't go there."

"Mi cosino Chua, le ratto, me diceva–" diceva Chuchundra, e pois ille cessava.

"My cousin Chua, the rat, told me–" said Chuchundra, and then he stopped.

"Ille diceva te que?"

"Told you what?"

"Tchh! Nag es ubique, Rikki-tikki. Tu habeva debite parlar a Chua in le jardin."

"H'sh! Nag is everywhere, Rikki-tikki. You should have talked to Chua in the garden."

"Io non parlava a ille – dunque tu debe dicer me. Rapidemente, Chuchundra, o io te mordera!"

"I didn't–so you must tell me. Quick, Chuchundra, or I'll bite you!"

Chuchundra se sedeva e plorava usque le lacrimas rolava de su mustachios. "Io es un homine multo paupere," ille singultava. "Io nunquam habeva bastante spirito pro currer al centro del camera. Tchh! Io non debe dice te alique. Pote tu non audir, Rikki-tikki?"

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 auscultava. Le casa esseva tanto silentiose como silentio se mesme, ma ille pensava que ille poteva audir le grattamento le plus debile in le mundo–un sono tanto debile como illo de un vespa iente a pede super un fenestra– le grattamento sic del squamas de un serpente super briccas.

Rikki-tikki listened. The house was as still as still, but he thought he could just catch the faintest scratch-scratch in the world–a noise as faint as that of a wasp walking on a window-pane–the dry scratch of a snake's scales on brick-work.

"Illo es Nag o Nagaina," ille diceva a se mesme, "e ille repe a in le camera de banio. Tu ha ration, Chuchundra; io habeva debite parlar a Chua."

"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."

Ille sortiva furtivemente al camera de banio de Teddy, ma il habeva nil la, e pois al camera de banio del matre de Teddy. Al basso del muro de gypso lisie il habeva un bricca tirate pro crear un esclusa pro le aqua de banio, e durante que Rikki-tikki vadeva secretemente per le bordo de bricca ubi le banio se situa, ille audiva Nag e Nagaina susurrante le un al altere al exterior in le lumine del luna.

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.

"Quando le casa es disoccupate," diceva Nagaina a su sposo, "ille debera partir, e pois le jardin sera le nostre de novo. Entra quietemente, e memora te que le grande homine qui occideva Karait es le prime que nos mordera. Pois exi e dice me, e nos chassara Rikki-tikki insimul."

"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."

"Ma es tu secur que nos ganiara alique de occider le gente?" diceva Nag.

"But are you sure that there is anything to be gained by killing the people?" said Nag.

"Toto. Quando il habeva nulle gente in le bungalow, habera nos un mangusta in le jardin? Si longe que le bungalow es disoccupate, nos es rege e regina del jardin; e memora te que quando nostre ovos in le parterre de melones cova (e forsan sera deman), nostre infante necessitara spatio e silentio."

"Everything. When there were no people in the bungalow, did we have any mongoose in the garden? So long as the bungalow is empty, we are king and queen of the garden; and remember that as soon as our eggs in the melon bed hatch (as they may tomorrow), our children will need room and quiet."

"Io non habeva pensate de illo," diceva Nag. "Io vadera, ma il ha nulle besonio que nos chassarea for Rikki-tikki postea. Io occidera le grande homine e su sposa, e le puero si io pote, e sortira quietemente. Pois le bungalow sera disoccupate, e Rikki-tikki partira."

"I had not thought of that," said Nag. "I will go, but there is no need that we should hunt for 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."

Tote le corpore de Rikki-tikki vibrava con le rabie e odio a audir illo, e pois le capite de Nag veniva per le esclusa, e su frigide corpore de cinque pedes de longor lo sequeva. Tanto irate como ille esseva, Rikki-tikki habeva multo timor quando ille videva le grandor del cobra grande. Nag se inrolava, levava su capite, e reguardava le interior del camera de banio in le obscuritate, e Rikki poteva vider su oculos reluce.

Rikki-tikki tingled all over with rage and hatred at this, and then Nag's head came through the sluice, and his five feet of cold body followed it. Angry as he was, Rikki-tikki was very frightened as he saw the size of the big cobra. Nag coiled himself up, raised his head, and looked into the bathroom in the dark, and Rikki could see his eyes glitter.

"Ora, si io le occide ci, Nagaina sapera; e si io le lucta in le pavimento libere, le avantage es le sue. Que debe io facer?” diceva Rikki-tikki-tavi.

"Now, if I kill him here, Nagaina will know; and if I fight him on the open floor, the odds are in his favor. What am I to do?" said Rikki-tikki-tavi.

Nag oscillava ci e la, e pois Rikki-tikki le audiva bibente ex le jarra a aqua le plus grande le qual on usava pro plenar le banio. "Illo es bon," diceva le serpente. "Ora, quando ille occideva Karait, le grande homine habeva un baston. Forsan ille ancora habera ille baston, ma quando ille entra le banio pro baniar se in le matino ille non habera un baston. Io attendera ci usque ille veni. Nagaina – audi me tu? – Io attendera ci in le frescor usque le alba."

Nag waved to and fro, and then Rikki-tikki heard him drinking from the biggest water-jar that was used to fill the bath. "That is good," said the snake. "Now, when Karait was killed, the big man had a stick. He may have that stick still, but when he comes in to bathe in the morning he will not have a stick. I shall wait here till he comes. Nagaina–do you hear me?–I shall wait here in the cool till daytime."

Il habeva nulle responsa del exterior, dunque Rikki-tikki sapeva Nagaina habeva partite. Nag se serpentava, spira post spira, circa le protuberantia al basso del jarro a aqua, e Rikki-tikki restava tanto immobile como morte. Post un hora ille comenciava mover, musculo post musculo, verso le jarro. Nag dormiva, e Rikki-tikki reguardava su dorso grande, demandante a se mesme qual loco providerea le prisa le melior. "Si io non rumpe su dorso al prime salto," diceva Rikki, "ille ancora potera luctar. E si ille lucta – O Rikki!" Ille reguardava le spissor del collo sub le cappucio , ma illo esseva troppo pro ille; e morder presso del cauda solmente causa Nag a esser furiose.

There was no answer from outside, so Rikki-tikki knew Nagaina had gone away. Nag coiled himself down, coil by coil, round the bulge at the bottom of the water jar, and Rikki-tikki stayed still as death. After an hour he began to move, muscle by muscle, toward the jar. Nag was asleep, and Rikki-tikki looked at his big back, wondering which would be the best place for a good hold. "If I don't break his back at the first jump," said Rikki, "he can still fight. And if he fights–O Rikki!" He looked at the thickness of the neck below the hood, but that was too much for him; and a bite near the tail would only make Nag savage.

"Il debe esser le capite"' ille diceva al fin; "le capite supra le cappucio. E, quando io es la, io non debe disingagiar.”

"It must be the head"' he said at last; "the head above the hood. And, when I am once there, I must not let go."

Pois ille saltava. Le capite cubava un poco distante del jarro a aqua, sub le curva de illo; e, quando su dentes se reuniva, Rikki reinfortiava su dorso contra le protuberantia del jarro de ceramo rubie pro retener le capite. Isto le dava solmente un seconda additional, e ille prendeva le avantage de illo. Pois le serpente le jectava ci e la como un can succuterea un ratto – ci e la super le pavimento, in alto e in basso, e in grande circulos, ma su oculos esseva rubie e ille teneva firmemente durante que le corpore flagellava super le pavimento, invertante le coclear grande e le platto a sapon e le brossa de banio, e percuteva le lateral de stanno del banio. Durante que ille teneva, ille claudeva su mandibulas plus e plus fortemente, pro que ille voleva assecurar que si ille mori del colpos, e, pro le honor de su familia, ille preferreva que on le trova con su dentes serrate. Ille esseva vertiginose, con dolor, e se sentiva succutite a pecias quando alique explodeva como tunitro juste detra ille. Un vento calide le rendeva insensibile e foco rubie adureva su pelle. Le ruito ha eveliate le grande homine, e ille habeva discargate ambe calces de un fusil de chassa in Nag solmente un poco post le cappucio.

Then he jumped. The head was lying a little clear of the water jar, under the curve of it; and, as his teeth met, Rikki braced his back against the bulge of the red earthenware to hold down the head. This gave him just one second's purchase, and he made the most of it. Then he was battered to and fro as a rat is shaken by a dog–to and fro on the floor, up and down, and around in great circles, but his eyes were red and he held on as the body cart-whipped over the floor, upsetting the tin dipper and the soap dish and the flesh brush, and banged against the tin side of the bath. As he held he closed his jaws tighter and tighter, for he made sure he would be banged to death, and, for the honor of his family, he preferred to be found with his teeth locked. He was dizzy, aching, and felt shaken to pieces when something went off like a thunderclap just behind him. A hot wind knocked him senseless and red fire singed his fur. The big man had been wakened by the noise, and had fired both barrels of a shotgun into Nag just behind the hood.

Rikki-tikki teneva firmemente con le oculos claudite, proque actualmente ille esseva certe que ille esseva morte. Mal capite non moveva, e le grande homine le prendeva e diceva, "Es le mangusta de novo, Alice. Ora, le parve typo ha salvate nostre vitas."

Rikki-tikki held on with his eyes shut, for now he was quite sure he was dead. But the head did not move, and the big man picked him up and said, "It's the mongoose again, Alice. The little chap has saved our lives now."

Pois le matre de Teddy entrava con un facie multo blanc, e videva lo que remane de Nag, e Rikki-tikki se traheva al camera de Teddy e passava un medietate del resto del nocte teneremente tremente pro discoperir si ille vermente esseva rumpite in quaranta pecias, como ille credeva.

Then Teddy's mother came in with a very white face, and saw what was left of Nag, and Rikki-tikki dragged himself to Teddy's bedroom and spent half the rest of the night shaking himself tenderly to find out whether he really was broken into forty pieces, as he fancied.

Quando le alba veniva ille esseva multo rigide, ma ben contente con su gestas. "Proximo, io debera arrangiar le cosas con Nagaina, e illa sera pejor que cinque Nages, e il ha nulle via a saper quando le ovos del qual illa parlava covara. Bonitate! Io debe vader e visitar Darzi," ille diceva.

When morning came he was very stiff, but well pleased with his doings. "Now I have Nagaina to settle with, and she will be worse than five Nags, and there's no knowing when the eggs she spoke of will hatch. Goodness! I must go and see Darzee," he said.

Sin attender le jentaculo, Rikki-tikki curreva al spino ubi Darzi cantava un canto de triumpho in su voce le plus alte. Le novas del morte de Nag ha diffundite se per tote le jardin, proque le scopator habeva jectate le corpore super le cumulo de immunditias.

Without waiting for breakfast, Rikki-tikki ran to the thornbush where Darzee was singing a song of triumph at the top of his voice. The news of Nag's death was all over the garden, for the sweeper had thrown the body on the rubbish-heap.

"O, tu tuffo de plumas stupide!" diceva Rikki-tikki iratemente. "Es isto le tempore pro cantar?"

"Oh, you stupid tuft of feathers!" said Rikki-tikki angrily. "Is this the time to sing?"

"Nag es morte–es morte–es morte!" cantava Darzi. "Rikki-tikki le valente le prendeva per le capite e teneva firmement. Le grande homine apportava le baston explosive, e Nag cadeva in duo pecias! Ille nunquam mangiara mi babies de novo."

"Nag is dead–is dead–is dead!" sang Darzee. "The valiant Rikki-tikki caught him by the head and held fast. The big man brought the bang-stick, and Nag fell in two pieces! He will never eat my babies again."

"Toto de illo es bastante ver. Ma ubi es Nagaina?" diceva Rikki-tikki, reguardante attentivemente circa se mesme.

"All that's true enough. But where's Nagaina?" said Rikki-tikki, looking carefully round him.

"Nagaina veniva al camera de banio e vocava Nag," Darzi continuava, "e Nag veniva de illo super le fin de un baston – le scopator le prendeva per le fin de un baston e le jectava super le cumulo de immunditias. Vamos cantar de Rikki-Tikki, le Magne con rubie oculos!" E Darzi plenava su gorga e cantava.

"Nagaina came to the bathroom sluice and called for Nag," Darzee went on, "and Nag came out on the end of a stick–the sweeper picked him up on the end of a stick and threw him upon the rubbish heap. Let us sing about the great, the red-eyed Rikki-tikki!" And Darzee filled his throat and sang.

"Si io poterea ascender a tu nido, io rolarea tu babies ex illo!" diceva Rikki-tikki. "Tu non sape quando facer le cosa correcte al tempore correcte. Tu es bastante secur la in tu nido, ma ci pro me es le guerra. Cessa le cantar pro un minuta, Darzi."

"If I could get up to your nest, I'd roll your babies out!" said Rikki-tikki. "You don't know when to do the right thing at the right time. You're safe enough in your nest there, but it's war for me down here. Stop singing a minute, Darzee."

"Pro le gratias de Rikki-Tikki le Magne e Belle io cessara," diceva Darzi. "Que es illo, O assassino de Nag le terribile?"

"For the great, the beautiful Rikki-tikki's sake I will stop," said Darzee. "What is it, O Killer of the terrible Nag?"

"Ubi es Nagaina, pro le tertie vice?"

"Where is Nagaina, for the third time?"

"Super le cumulo de immunditias presso del stabulos, affligente se pro Nag. Magne es Rikki-tikki con le dentes blanc."

"On the rubbish heap by the stables, mourning for Nag. Great is Rikki-tikki with the white teeth."

"Oblida mi dentes blanc! Ha tu unquam audite ubi ille cela su ovos?"

"Bother my white teeth! Have you ever heard where she keeps her eggs?"

"In le parterre de melones, in le parte le plus proxime al muro, ubi le lumine del sol lo illumina quasi tote le die. Illa los celava la ante multo septimanas."

"In the melon bed, on the end nearest the wall, where the sun strikes nearly all day. She hid them there weeks ago."

"E tu nunquam pensava que serea utile dicer me? Le parte le plus proxime al muro, tu diceva?"

"And you never thought it worth while to tell me? The end nearest the wall, you said?"

"Rikki-tikki, tu non va mangiar su ovos?"

"Rikki-tikki, you are not going to eat her eggs?"

"No; non exactemente mangiar. Darzi, si tu ha un grano de senso tu volara al stabulos e fingera que tu ala es rupte, e lassa que Nagaina te chassa a iste arbusto. Io debe vader al parterre de melones, e si io vadeva la ora illa me viderea.”

"Not eat exactly; no. Darzee, if you have a grain of sense you will fly off to the stables and pretend that your wing is broken, and let Nagaina chase you away to this bush. I must get to the melon-bed, and if I went there now she'd see me."

Darzi esseva un typo con le cerebro de plumas qui nunquam poteva tener plus que un idea a vice in su capite. E solmente proque ille sapeva que le infantes de Nagaina nasceva in ovos tal como su proprie, ille non pensava primo que esseva juste occider los. Ma su sposa esseva un ave practic, e illa sapeva que le ovos de cobra significava juvene cobras plus tarde. Assi illa volava del nido, e lassava Darzi vigilante le babies, e continuante su canto del morte de Nag. Darzi esseva bastante similar a un homine in alicun vias.

Darzee was a feather-brained little fellow who could never hold more than one idea at a time in his head. And just because he knew that Nagaina's children were born in eggs like his own, he didn't think at first that it was fair to kill them. But his wife was a sensible bird, and she knew that cobra's eggs meant young cobras later on. So she flew off from the nest, and left Darzee to keep the babies warm, and continue his song about the death of Nag. Darzee was very like a man in some ways.

Illa papilionava avante Nagaina presso del cumulo de immunditias e critava, "O, mi ala es rupte! Le puero in le casa jectava un petra a me e lo rupmeva." Pois illa papilionava plus desperatemente que antea.

She fluttered in front of Nagaina by the rubbish heap and cried out, "Oh, my wing is broken! The boy in the house threw a stone at me and broke it." Then she fluttered more desperately than ever.

Nagaina levava su capite e sibilava, "Tu preveniva Rikki-tikki quando io poteva occider le. Vermente, tu ha selegite un mal loco in le qual esser claude." E illa movava verso le sposa de Darzi, glissante per le sablo.

Nagaina lifted up her head and hissed, "You warned Rikki-tikki when I would have killed him. Indeed and truly, you've chosen a bad place to be lame in." And she moved toward Darzee's wife, slipping along over the dust.

"Le puero lo rumpeva con un petra!" critava le sposa de Darzi.

"The boy broke it with a stone!" shrieked Darzee's wife.

"Ben! Forsan illo sera un poco de consolation a te que post que tu es morte io va saldar contos con le puero. Mi sposo cuba super le cumulo de immunditias iste matino, ma ante le nocte le puero in le casa va cubar multissime immobile. Que es le uso de currer foras? Certemente io va attrappar te. Parve imbecille, reguarda me!"

"Well! It may be some consolation to you when you're dead to know that I shall settle accounts with the boy. My husband lies on the rubbish heap this morning, but before night the boy in the house will lie very still. What is the use of running away? I am sure to catch you. Little fool, look at me!"

Le sposa de Darzi sapeva melio que facer illo, pro un ave qui reguarda le oculos de un serpente deveni tanto territe que illo non pote mover. Le sposa de Darzi continuava papilionar, pipar tristemente, e nunquam sortir le terra, e Nagaina reavivava su velocitate.

Darzee's wife knew better than to do that, for a bird who looks at a snake's eyes gets so frightened that she cannot move. Darzee's wife fluttered on, piping sorrowfully, and never leaving the ground, and Nagaina quickened her pace.

Rikki-tikki audiva que illas vadeva per le semita del stabulos, e ille hastava pro le parte del parterre de melones le plus proxime al muro. La, in le calide ventrata super le melones, celate multo astutemente, ille trova vinti-cinque ovos, circa le grandor del ovos de un bantam, ma con pelle blanc in loco de scalias.

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.

"Io esseva non un die troppo tosto," ille diceva, proque ille poteva vider le cobrettas buclate al interior del pelle del ovo, e ille sapeva que le minuta que illes se covava illes poterea occider un homine o un mangusta. Ille mordeva le culmines del ovos tanto rapidemente como ille poteva, prestante attention a applattar le cobrettas, e invertente le portata de vice in vice pro vider si ille habeva omittite alicunos. Al fin il habeva solmente tres ovos remanente, e Rikki-tikki comenciava rider dulcemente a se mesme, quando ille audiva le critos del sposa de Darzi:

"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, io duceva Nagaina verso le casa, e illa ha vadite in le veranda, e – o, veni rapidemente – illa intende occider!"

"Rikki-tikki, I led Nagaina toward the house, and she has gone into the veranda, and–oh, come quickly–she means killing!"

Rikki-tikki fraccassava duo ovos, e se rolava per le parterre de melones con le tertie ovo in su bucca, e curreva al veranda tanto rapidemente como ille pote poner le pede al terra. Teddy e su matre e patre esseva la a un jentaculo de bon hora, ma Rikki-tikki videva que illes non mangiava alique. Illes se sedeva immobilissime, e lor facies esseva blanc. Nagaina esseva inrolate super le mattas presso del sede de Teddy, intra un distantia de colpar facile del gamba nude de Teddy, e illa oscillava, cantante un canto de triumpho.

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.

"Filio del grande homine que occideva Nag," illa sibilava, "resta immobile. Io non jam es preste. Attende un poco. Tene te immobilissime, tote tres de vos! Si vos io colpara, e si vos non move io colpara. O, gente imprudente, qui occideva mi Nag!"

"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!"

Le oculos de Teddy esseva fixate super su patre, e tote lo que su patre poteva facer esseva susurrar, "Sede te immobile, Teddy. Tu non debe mover te. Teddy, sia immobile."

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."

Pois Rikki-tikki veniva e critava, "Torna te, Nagaina. Torna te e lucta!"

Then Rikki-tikki came up and cried, "Turn round, Nagaina. Turn and fight!"

"Toto in su tempore," illa diceva, sin mover su oculos. "Io va saldar contos con te tosto. Reguarda tu amicos, Rikki-tikki. Illes es immobile e blanc. Ille ha timor. Illes non osa mover se, e si tu veni un passo plus proxime io va colpar."

"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."

"Reguarda tu ovos," diceva Rikki-tikki, "in le parterre de melones presso del muro. Va e reguarda, Nagaina!"

"Look at your eggs," said Rikki-tikki, "in the melon bed near the wall. Go and look, Nagaina!"

Le grande serpente se tornava mediemente, e videva le ovo super le veranda. "Ah-h! Da lo a me," illa diceva.

The big snake turned half around, and saw the egg on the veranda. "Ah-h! Give it to me," she said.

Rikki-tikki poneva su patas un a cata latere del ovo, e su oculos esseva tanto rubie como sanguine. "Que precio pro un ovo serpentin? Pro un juvene cobra? Pro un juvene rege de cobras? Pro le ultime – le ultissime del covata? Le formicas mangia tote la alteres presso del parterre de melones."

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 last–the very last of the brood? The ants are eating all the others down by the melon bed."

Nagaina girava completemente, oblidante toto pro le gratia de un ovo. Rikki-tikki videva le grande mano del patre de Teddy se lancea e prende Teddy per le humero, e trahe le trans le parve tabula con le cuppas de the, secur e ex le prisa Nagaina.

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.

"Dupate! Dupate! Dupate! Rikk-tck-tck!" rideva Rikki-tikki dulcemente. "Le puero es secur, e esseva io - io – io que prendeva Nag per le cappucio heri nocte in le camera de banio." Pois ille comenciava saltar, tote de su longor al mesme tempore, su capite presso del pavimento. "Ille me jectava ci e la, ma ille non poteva liberar se. Ille esseva morte ante que le grande homine le colpava in duo pecias con le arma de foco. Io lo faceva! Rikki-tikki-tck-tck! Dunque veni, Nagaina. Veni e lucta con me. Tu non sera un vidua longemente."

"Tricked! Tricked! Tricked! Rikk-tck-tck!" chuckled Rikki-tikki. "The boy is safe, and it was I–I–I 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 videva que illa ha perdite su opportunitate de occider Teddy, e le ovo cubava inter le patas de Rikki-tikki. "Da me le ovo, Rikki-tikki. Da me le ultime de mi ovos, e io vadera foras e nunquam retornara," illa diceva, abassante su cappucio.

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.

"Si, tu vadera foras, e tu nunquam retornara. Proque tu va vader al cumulo de immunditias con Nag. Lucta, vidua! Le grande homine ha vadite pro prender su arma de foco! Lucta!"

"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 saltava ci e la circa Nagaina, remanente solmente extra su colpo, su parve oculos como brasa ardente. Nagaina inrolava se mesme e se lanceava a ille. Rikki-tikki saltava. De novo e de novo e de novo illa saltava, e tote vice su capite colpava le mattas del veranda e illa inrolava como le resorto de un horologio. Pois Rikki-tikki dansava in un circulo pro poner se detra illa, e Nagaina se girava completemente pro mantener su capite avante le capite de Rikki-Tikki, assi que le susurro de su cauda super le mattas sonava como folios sic pulsate per le vento.

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.

Ille habeva oblidate le ovo. Illo resta ancora in le veranda, e Nagaina approchava plus e plus proxime a illo, usque finalmente, durante que Rikki-tikki inspirava, illa lo prendeva con su bucca, girava al scalones del veranda, e curreva rapidemente per le semita, con Rikki-tikki detra illa. Quando le cobra curre pro su vita, illa va como un flagello colpante le collo de un cavallo.

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 sapeva que ille debe attrappar la, o tote le enoio comenciarea de novo. Illa se dirigeva pro le herbas longe presso del spino, e durante que ille curreva Rikki-tikki audiva Darzi ancora cantante su cantetto fatue de triumpho. Ma le sposa de Darzi esseva plus sage. Illa flugava ex le nido quando Nagaina passava, e batteva su alas circa le capite de Nagaina. Si Darzi habeva adjutate forsan illes habeva potite causar que illa gira, ma Nagaina simplemente abassava su cappucio e continuava. Ma, le retardo de un instante lassava que Rikki-tikki la prende, e quando Nagaina se immergeva in le foramine de rattos ubi illa e Nag habitava, le parve dentes blanc de Rikki-Tikki esseva serrate a su cauda, e ille la sequeva – e multo poco de mangustas, sin reguardo de lor etate of intelligentia, vole sequer un cobra a in su cavo. Esseva obscur in le foramine; e Rikki-tikki nunquam sapeva quando illo se expanderea e darea a Nagaina le spatio pro girar e colpar a ille. Ille teneva al cauda ferocemente, e mitteva su pedes al terra calide e humide pro functionar como frenos.

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 her–and 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.

Pois le agitation del herbas presso del apertura del foramine cessava, e Darzi diceva, "Illo es toto finite con Rikki-tikki! Nos debe cantar su canto de morte. Valente Rikki-tikki es morte! Proque, Nagaina certemente le occidera sub le terra."

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."

Dunque ille cantava un canto multo triste que ille improvisava al minuta, e justo quando ille arrivava al parte le plus emotionante, le herbas fremeva de novo, e Rikki-tikki, coperite con solo, se traheva ex le foramine gamba post gamba, leccante su mustachios. Darzi cessava con un parve crito. Rikki-tikki succuteva alicun del sablo de su pelle e sternutava. "Es finite," ille diceva. "Le vidua nunquam exira de novo." E le formicas rubie que habita inter le herbas le audiva, e comenciava marchar in le foramine un post le altere pro vider si ille habeva parlate le veritate.

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 se inrolava in le herbas e dormiva ubi ille esseva – dormiva e dormiva usque tarde in le postmeridie, proque ille habeva facite un die de travalio multo dur.

Rikki-tikki curled himself up in the grass and slept where he was–slept and slept till it was late in the afternoon, for he had done a hard day's work.

"Ora," ille diceva, quando ille se eveliava, "Io va retornar al casa. Dice le barbate caldieron (megalaima haemacephala), Darzi, e ille dicera le jardin que Nagaina es morte."

"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."

Le barbate caldieron es un ave que face un sono exactemente como le battar de un martelletto super un olla de cupro; e le ration que sempre face le sono es proque ille es le critator public de cata jardin indian, e annuncia tote le novas a tote le mundo qui vole auscultar. Durante que Rikki-tikki ascendeva le semita, ille audiva su notas de "attention" como le parve gong de cena, e pois le constante "Din-don-tok! Nag es morte–don! Nagaina es morte! Din-don-tok!" Illo causava que tote le aves in le jardin comenciava cantar, e que le ranas comenciava coaxar, proque Nag e Nagaina mangiava avettas e ranettas tamben.

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 dead–dong! 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.

Quando Rikki arrivava al casa, Teddy e su matre (illa ancora pareva multo blanc, proque illa ha suffrite syncope) e su patre veniva e quasi plorava supra ille; e ille nocte ille mangiava tote lo que on le dava usque ille non pote mangiar plus, e vadeva al lecto super le humero de Teddy, ubi le matre de Teddy le videva quando ille veniva pro un reguardo in le nocte tardive.

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.

"Ille salvava nostre vitas e le vita de Teddy," illa diceva a su sposo. "Solmente pensa, ille salvava toto de nostre vitas."

"He saved our lives and Teddy's life," she said to her husband. "Just think, he saved all our lives."

Rikki-tikki se eveliava con un suprasalto, proque le mangustas ha somno legier.

Rikki-tikki woke up with a jump, for the mongooses are light sleepers.

"O, Es vos," diceva ille. "Proque vos incommoda vos? Tote le cobras es morte. E si illes non esseva morte, io es ci."

"Oh, it's you," said he. "What are you bothering for? All the cobras are dead. And if they weren't, I'm here."

Rikki-tikki habeva un ration pro esser fer de se mesme. Ma ille non deveniva troppo fer, e ille manteneva ille jardin como un mangusta deberea mantener lo, con dente e salto e morsura, usque nunquam un cobra osava monstrar su capite al interior del muros.

Rikki-tikki had a right to be proud of himself. But he did not grow too proud, and he kept that garden as a mongoose should keep it, with tooth and jump and spring and bite, till never a cobra dared show its head inside the walls.

Le Canto de Darzi

Darzee's Chant

(Cantava in honor de Rikki-tikki-tavi)

(Sung in honor of Rikki-tikki-tavi)

Cantator e sartor es io–

Singer and tailor am I–

Duplate le joios que io sape–

Doubled the joys that I know–

Fer de mi rhythmo in le celo,

Proud of my lilt to the sky,

Fer del casa que io sue–

Proud of the house that I sew–

Super e sub, assi io texe mi musica–assi io texe le casa que io sue.

Over and under, so weave I my music–so weave I the house that I sew.

Canta a tu avettos de novo,

Sing to your fledglings again,

Matre, leva tu capite!

Mother, oh lift up your head!

Le Mal que nos plagava es occidite,

Evil that plagued us is slain,

Le Morte in le jardin resta morte.

Death in the garden lies dead.

Le Terror que se celava in le rosas es impotente – jectate super le cumulo de immunditias e morte!

Terror that hid in the roses is impotent–flung on the dung-hill and dead!

Qui nos ha liberate, qui?

Who has delivered us, who?

Dice me su nido e su nomine.

Tell me his nest and his name.

Rikki, le valente, le ver,

Rikki, the valiant, the true,

Tikki, con oculos de flammas,

Tikki, with eyeballs of flame,

Rikk-tikki-tikki, ille del dentes eboree, le chassator con oculos de flammas!

Rikk-tikki-tikki, the ivory-fanged, the hunter with eyeballs of flame!

Da le le Gratias del Aves,

Give him the Thanks of the Birds,

Inclinante con le plumas caudal extendite!

Bowing with tail feathers spread!

Lauda le con le parolas del rossiniolo –

Praise him with nightingale words–

No, io va laudar le.

Nay, I will praise him instead.

Audi! Io te cantara le laudo del Rikki con le cauda a brossa, con oculos rubie!

Hear! I will sing you the praise of the bottle-tailed Rikki, with eyeballs of red!

(Ci Rikki-tikki interrumpeva, e nos perdeva le resto

(Here Rikki-tikki interrupted, and the rest of the song is lost.)