SHORT STORIES, LONG SHADOWS · A2/B1 · 50 min

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

A brave little mongoose who protects his new family from two dangerous snakes.

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Today: tell the story of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a brave little mongoose who fights two snakes to protect his family, and talk about danger and courage. Grammar: the past simple and time order words.
Warm up — four words to talk about first. Do you know it? Say what it means and use it in a sentence. Is it new? Good — learn it now. Click Reveal to check.
brave
What does it mean? Say the name of a brave person.
brave — not afraid; ready to do something hard or dangerous.
to protect
What does it mean? Use it in a sentence about family.
to protect — to keep someone or something safe.
danger
What does it mean? Name one dangerous thing.
danger — the chance that something bad or harmful will happen.
a family
What does it mean? Say who is in your family.
a family — parents, children and other people who live together and love each other.

Now — the words for today's story

These are the new words for Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.

Words

  1. a mongoose
  2. a snake
  3. a cobra
  4. a garden
  5. to fight
  6. to hide
  7. an egg
  8. safe

Meanings

  • A. a long animal with no legs that moves on the ground
  • B. not in danger; free from harm
  • C. a small furry animal that is good at fighting snakes
  • D. to go where no one can see you
  • E. a big dangerous snake that lifts its head up high
  • F. the round thing a baby snake or bird comes out of
  • G. to hit or attack, often to win or to defend
  • H. the land next to a house with plants and grass

1 = C (a mongoose) · 2 = A (a snake) · 3 = E (a cobra) · 4 = H (a garden)

5 = G (to fight) · 6 = D (to hide) · 7 = F (an egg) · 8 = B (safe)

Now talk — out loud

Before we read:
  • Which words are about danger? Which words are about the home?
  • Use three of the words to guess: what do you think happens in this story?

The story, in three parts

Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.

Part 1 — A new home

One day there was a big flood. The water carried a small, wet mongoose into a garden in India. An English family lived in the house. A little boy called Teddy found the mongoose in the sun. He picked him up and took him inside.

The family gave the mongoose food and made him warm and dry. His name was Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. Soon Rikki was happy in his new home. He walked all around the house and sat on Teddy's shoulder. He decided that this was his family now, and he wanted to keep them safe.

But the garden was not safe. Two big cobras, Nag and his wife Nagaina, lived in the tall grass. They did not like the new mongoose. On his first morning outside, Rikki heard a cold hiss. He turned and saw a huge black snake. The family did not know it yet, but they would soon need this small, brave animal very much.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. How did Rikki come to live with the family?

2. Who lived in the garden?

1. A flood carried him into the garden. The boy Teddy found him and the family took him in, gave him food and made him warm.

2. Two cobras, Nag and Nagaina, who did not like the new mongoose.

Talk about it:
  • Rikki quickly felt that this was his family. Why do you think he wanted to protect them so soon?

Part 2 — The first fight

Rikki learned that the two cobras made all the small animals in the garden afraid. He knew the family was in danger too. One day, Nag came near Teddy in the garden. Rikki was small and fast. He jumped in and made the big snake move away, and the boy was safe.

Then, one dark night, Rikki heard the two cobras talking. They had a bad plan. They wanted to go inside the house and make the family leave for ever. Then the garden would be theirs. Rikki understood that he had to stop them.

So Rikki waited quietly in the dark. He waited until Nag fell asleep. Then he took hold of the big snake and did not let go. It was a long, hard fight. Rikki was very tired at the end — but the first cobra was gone, and the house was safer now.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. What did Rikki do when Nag came near Teddy?

2. What plan did the two cobras have?

1. He jumped in, made the snake move away, and kept the boy safe.

2. They wanted to go inside the house and make the family leave, so the garden would be theirs.

Talk about it:
  • Rikki was alone in the dark, fighting something much bigger than him. Why do we like brave people who help when no one is watching?

Part 3 — The last snake

Now only Nagaina was left, and she was very angry and very clever. She had hidden her eggs in the garden, under the melon plants. Baby cobras would come out of them. She wanted to hurt the family the next morning. Rikki knew he had to stop her for good.

So Rikki worked fast. He found the eggs and broke them, but he kept one. When Nagaina came to attack the family, Rikki showed her the last egg. She looked only at Rikki, not at the family. Then she took the egg and went down into her hole in the ground. Rikki went straight down after her, into the dark.

The whole garden was quiet. Everyone thought the little mongoose would not come back. Then the ground moved, and Rikki came out alone. The last cobra was gone. The family was safe at last, and everyone felt happy and calm. After that day, Rikki always kept the garden safe, and no snake ever came near the house again.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. Where did Nagaina hide her eggs, and why did they matter?

2. How did Rikki stop the last cobra?

1. Under the melon plants in the garden. Baby cobras would come out of them, so they were the next danger.

2. He broke the eggs but one, used the last egg to get her attention away from the family, then followed her into her hole and did not let her get away.

Talk about it:
  • Rikki went down into the dark hole, where it was very dangerous. Was this brave, or too dangerous? What do you think?

Grammar: past simple & time order

We tell stories in the past. We also use small words to show the order of the events — what happened first, next and last.

Past simple = a finished action in the past. Many verbs add -ed: "Rikki waited." "He jumped in." But some verbs are irregular and change: find → found, take → took, come → came, see → saw, run → ran, go → went, hear → heard.
Time order words show the order of the story: first, then, next, after that, suddenly, finally. We usually put them at the start of the sentence, with a comma: "First, he waited. Then, he jumped. Finally, the family was safe."

1. Write the past simple

Write the past simple form of the verb in brackets.

1. Teddy the mongoose in the garden. (find)

2. The family Rikki food and water. (give)

3. Rikki a cold hiss behind him. (hear)

4. He down into the dark hole. (go)

1. found (find → found)

2. gave (give → gave)

3. heard (hear → heard)

4. went (go → went)

2. Choose the time order word

Choose the best word: First, Then, Suddenly or Finally. Say each sentence out loud.

1. , Rikki waited for the snake to sleep. (the start)

2. , he jumped and took hold of the snake. (the next action)

3. , a cold hiss came from behind him! (a quick surprise)

4. , the family was safe and everyone was happy. (the end)

1. First

2. Then

3. Suddenly

4. Finally

3. Tell a short part of the story

Fill each gap with a past simple verb or a time order word. Read it aloud when you finish.

, Rikki heard the two cobras talking about their plan. He (wait) quietly in the dark. , he jumped and (take) hold of the snake. , the house was safe.

Sample answer: First, Rikki heard the cobras... He waited quietly... Then, he jumped and took hold of the snake... Finally, the house was safe.

Use the past simple for the actions, and time order words (first, then, finally) to show the order.

Going deeper

Rudyard Kipling wrote this story a very long time ago, in 1894. It is in a famous book called The Jungle Book. It is an exciting animal story, but it is also about big ideas: being brave, helping your family, and keeping other people safe.

Why we still love it. A very small animal beats a very big enemy. He wins not because he is big, but because he is brave and he does not give up. People all over the world have loved this story for more than a hundred years, because we all like to see a small hero win.
Talk about it:
  • Rikki protects a family that is not the same kind of animal as him. Why do you think he cares about them so much?
  • The cobras want to protect their home and their babies too. Does this make you feel a little sorry for them? Why or why not?
  • Rikki is a small hero who beats a big enemy. Do you know other stories where a small or weak hero wins?
  • What would you have done if you were Rikki? Would you fight the snakes, or run away?

Speak

Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.

Useful language: use the past simple for the actions ("Rikki waited", "he found", "she went"), and time order words to show the order ("first… then… finally…"). To give an opinion: "I think…", "In my opinion…", "For me, the reason is…".
Time remaining: 3:00
Task A · Tell the story (3 minutes)

Tell the story of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi in your own words. Use these steps to help you: a flood brings the mongoose to the garden → the family take him in → two cobras live in the garden → Rikki fights the first snake at night → Rikki stops the last snake and her eggs → the family is safe.

Try to use the past simple and time order words (first, then, suddenly, finally), and some key words (mongoose, snake, cobra, garden, fight, hide, egg, safe).

Task B · Being brave (3 minutes)

Rikki was very small but very brave. Is it good to be brave, even when something is dangerous? When is it better to be careful and not fight? Give your opinion and say why.

Task C · A story of your own (3 minutes)

Tell a story of your own — a time when someone was brave, or helped and protected other people. Use the past simple and time order words: first, then, finally.

Not sure what to talk about? Choose one:

  • An animal — a pet or another animal — that helped or protected someone.
  • A film or story where a small hero beats a big, strong enemy.
  • A time when someone helped a person who could not help themselves.
  • A time when you had to be brave, even when you were a little afraid.
  • A person whose job is to keep other people safe — what do they do?
  • A day when something exciting happened, step by step: first, then, finally.

To finish

  1. Rikki came to the family by chance, but he became their protector. Why do you think he cared about them so much?
  2. The cobras wanted to protect their home and their eggs too. Is there a "good side" and a "bad side" in this story, or is it not so simple?
  3. From memory: say one sentence in the past simple about the story, and one sentence with a time order word (first, then or finally). Why is each one right?