Background Information Rikki-tikki-tavi Background Information

Author: Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling Born: 30 December 1865 Died: 18 January 1936 an English short-story writer, poet, and novelist He is chiefly remembered for his tales and poems of British soldiers in India and his tales for children, including The Jungle Book (a collection of stories which includes "Rikki-tikki-tavi”).

India The seventh largest country by size The second largest country by population at over 1.2 billion people India shares a border with both Pakistan and China Four world religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also helped shape the region's diverse culture.

British in India The British Raj (meaning "rule" in Hindi) was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947. The region under British control—commonly called "India" in contemporary usage—was less commonly also called the Indian Empire. The British Raj extended over almost all of present-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific Mahatma (Sanskrit: "high-souled", "venerable")—applied to him first in 1914 in South Africa,—is now used worldwide. He is also called Bapu (Gujarati: endearment for "father", "papa") in India.

Climate in India The Indian climate is strongly influenced by the Himalayan Mountains and the Thar Desert. The Himalayas block the cold Central Asian winds from blowing in, keeping the bulk of the Indian subcontinent warmer than most locations at similar latitudes. The Thar Desert plays a crucial role in attracting the moisture-laden south-west summer monsoon winds that, between June and October, provide the majority of India's rainfall. Four major climates dominate in India: tropical wet, tropical dry, subtropical humid, and montane (mountain).

Story Setting Summary India during British colonization Family lives in a bungalow with a veranda (open room/terrace with partial walls) Animals live in the surrounding lush garden This is a bungalow.

Mongoose a slender, ferret-like carnivore, of India, noted especially for its ability to kill cobras and other venomous snakes

Muskrat a large, aquatic, North American rodent, its thick, light-brown fur, used for coats, hats, etc.

Tailor-bird any of several small Asian birds that stitch leaves together to form and conceal their nests

Indian Cobra Asian snake of the family Elapidae that is equipped with an inflatable neck hood which serves as a warning its large hood is marked on the back by a pattern of figures resembling eyes poisonous and has short, rigid fangs attached at the front of its mouth usually 4 to 5 ft long preys on rats and is, therefore, often found in houses females lay eggs

Mongoose vs Cobra!!!

Vocabulary English 7 http://www.inkart.com/pages/Tutorial/tutrl_2/project6/pages/step_1.html

draggled adj. wet and dirty Synonyms: drenched, soiled, soaked Antonyms: clean, dry After playing outside in the rain, my dog was tired and draggled. http://blogs.inlandsocal.com/pets/2009/08/calling-all-dirty-dogs-fundrai.html

flinch to move back or shrink, as if verb away from a blow Synonyms: wince, recoil, withdraw, cringe Antonyms: confront, face, meet When the player flung his bat into the stands, the crowd flinched to avoid getting hit. http://boingboing.net/2008/07/19/photo-of-people-flin.html

mourning to feel sorrow for the death of a loved one verb noun the period or interval during which a person grieves Antonyms: v. rejoice Synonyms: v. bewail, bemoan, grieve Mourning the loss of a fellow soldier, members of the U.S. Army gathered around his gravesite for a memorial service. http://magicbaltimore.com/the-city/magicbaltimore/geico-thanks-the-us- troops-for-serving-our-country

consolation noun something that makes you feel better Synonyms: comfort, compassion Antonyms: discouragement, antagonism The basketball team didn’t win the tournament, but each player received a trophy as consolation. http://www.trophies2go.com/basketball-trophy/page_num/2

cunningly adv. cleverly Synonyms: skillfully, slyly, deceivingly Antonyms: honestly, openly The sly fox cunningly lured the rabbit into its lair. http://www.thewinfieldcollection.com/product/4402/All_Yard_Shadows