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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Rikki-Tikki Tavi

by Rudyard Kipling
audiobook: 40 minutes
narrated by Sumeet Bharati


*** About the Short Story ***

This story is from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.  It tells of a young mongoose named Rikki-Tikki who comes to live in the home of a man, his wife, and their young son.  Rikki-Tikki, like others of his kind, is very curious and very brave.  When he finds deadly snakes living in the garden and planning to attack the human family, he sets out to kill the snakes and save the family.


*** Why I Listened To It ***

This was available as a free download from Audible.com a while back.  Recently Kiddo and I listened to a creepy story and Kiddo needed something to lighten the mood before he went to bed.  I remembered that I had this on my phone so we listened to it while eating snack together.


*** My Thoughts ***

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi [VHS]Does anyone else remember the cartoon based on this?  I just LOVED it!

Anyway, it was a real treat for me to revisit this story with Kiddo.  It is an exciting story, albeit a bit brutal (it IS nature after all, and nature isn't always nice) and I remember really enjoying it when I was young.

For once, a story that I loved as a child stood up to the test of time and I still enjoyed it as an adult.  I've never read or listened to all of The Jungle Book (though I am, of course, familiar with the Disney movie, and Cub Scouting draws heavily on imagery from the book) but I might have to do that now ...


*** Kiddo's Thoughts ***

Let me tell you, Kiddo was hooked on this story from the very start.  I had to keep reminding him to finish his snack, to pay attention to eating, because he was so caught up in the story that he just sat at the table staring into space, listening with all his might.


As soon as the book ended I sent Kiddo off to brush his teeth and get ready for bed.  A few minutes later, over the sound of running water and brushing teeth, here's the conversation we had:

Kiddo: "Mom, can I have a mongoose for a pet?"
Me: "Maybe if we lived in India."
Kiddo: "Oh. Because I'd really like one to cuddle up with."
Me: "Sorry Kiddo."

After he got in bed and snuggled in I heard him calling me from his room:

Kiddo: "Mom, do they make stuffed mongooses? You know, like regular stuffed animals?"
Me: "I'm sure they do, but I don't think I've ever seen one.  Would you like me to look for one for you?"
Kiddo: "Yeah! I really want one."
Me: "Ok, I'll see what I can do."

Plush Mongoose 14"Unfortunately all I found was this one, which although cute is also ridiculously expensive.  Anyone know where I can find a reasonably priced stuffed mongoose toy that I could give Kiddo for Christmas?!



*** Your Thoughts ***

Did you read this story or see the movie as a child?  What did you think of it?  How does it compare to the other stories in The Jungle Book?

15 comments:

Unknown said...

I used to love that Rikki Tikki Tavi cartoon, thanks for the trip down memory lane! :) Glad Kiddo enjoyed the story!

Anonymous said...

My daughter (28 now) loved that cartoon. She watched it over and over. I'll have to remind her of it. :-)

nfmgirl said...

This used to be my FAVORITE cartoon when I was a little girl (with Charlotte's Web holding a close second).

Heather J. @ TLC Book Tours said...

Ruth - I've got to find that cartoon so I can watch it again!

Kay - I'm sure she'll be happy to remember it - I know I was.

nfmgirl - I wasn't as big a fan of Charlotte's Web but it wasn't bad either. I LOVED Templeton the rat though!

Amy L. Campbell said...

I did a search in Etsy and didn't find anything, but you can make an Etsy alchemy request for one, or find someone there who makes stuffed animals you like and see if they'll do a special request. At the very least as a last resort?

bermudaonion said...

Wow, that story made quite an impact on Kiddo!

Teacher/Learner said...

I love how engaged your son was in the story. Great to hear it! Good luck finding a stuffed mongoose...maybe eBay? Is there a Webkinz mongoose?

Trish said...

This sounds like a book I would have loved as a kid. I don't know how I could have missed it. I guess it's never too late to 'discover' it now. Heh, that's why blog reviews are so great!

Heather J. @ TLC Book Tours said...

Amy - I'll definitely keep it in mind as a last resort - thanks!

bermudaonion - I was pretty surprised myself.

Teacher/Learner - Hmm, Webkinz ... that might be a solution ...

Trish - That's why I love reading reviews of older books - I always discover something that I missed out on. :)

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

I loved the cartoon as a kid! I just read this earlier this year and I was picturing the cartoon the whole time.

Michelle said...

Oh, I remember this story! I absolutely adored it as a child.

I may have to revisit this one to see if, like you, it stands up to my memories of it!

Yvette said...

I loved the cartoon. I saw it with my daughter when she was very young - don't know who enjoyed it more, she or me. Ha. Many many years ago, when we vacationed in the Virgin Islands, I did see a live mongoose in the wild. Fun.

Ryan said...

Gosh, I haven't thought of this story in years. I loved it when I was young and I feel really sad that I haven't revisited it or introduced it to Aidan. Thanks for the reminder.

I have some freaquent customers who own a specialty toy store in town, if they come in anytime soon I'll ask them about it.

Heather J. @ TLC Book Tours said...

Avid Readers - Ooh! So happy that someone else has read this recently too!

Michelle - I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. *crosses fingers*

Yvette - Wow! The only live mongoose I've seen is in a YouTube video. :)

Ryan G - Thank you so much! I won't hold my breath, but at least there's some hope! And I hope Aidan really enjoys the story too.

Alyce said...

That is so sweet that he wants a stuffed mongoose!

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