U1 Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Word Meaning

Define

A writer’s choice of words is never random. In fact, writers have always chosen their words carefully, to achieve a
specific effect. Consider poets, for example. In the late seventeenth century, some poets chose flowery language,
such as “keeper of the fleecy people” instead of “shepherd,” to avoid using ordinary words. Today, although the
language of poetry may sound more like the language we speak, poets still use figures of speech, such as similes
and metaphors, to make the reader stop to understand something in an unexpected way.

Now consider the relationship between word choices and informational texts. These days, many writers are using
technical terms--words with specialized meanings--to educate readers, to make their writing more precise, or to
explore a scientific or technical subject. But technical terms need to be read in context. The noun bus, for
example, has a different meaning in a text about spacecraft (where it may mean “a craft that carries a detachable
device”) than it does in a short story where it describes a vehicle that takes a character to school.

Variations in word meaning are reminders that, when in doubt about any unfamiliar word or phrase, readers need
to look for context clues or consult a dictionary or other reference source.

Identification and Application:

●Examine each word, phrase, idiom, or other figure of speech that is difficult to understand.

●To figure out a word’s meaning through context clues, examine the word’s position or function in the
sentence. Is it acting as a noun, a verb, or another part of speech?

●Determine the overall meaning of the sentence and the paragraphs around it. How does the word fit into this
meaning?

●Some words may have multiple meanings. The context around the word can reveal which meaning applies
in a specific context.

●Consider why the author uses figurative language, such as similes or metaphors, idioms, or allusion in the
text. What is the author comparing and why? What is the effect on character, setting, or plot?

●When in doubt, consult a print or digital dictionary or another reference source to clarify or determine a
word’s part of speech or precise definition, or to verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of an
unfamiliar word or phrase.

Model

Rudyard Kipling’s short story “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is a beloved children’s classic. It speaks timelessly to the imagination of
readers who are charmed by an animal kingdom that is very human in nature and to an unshakeable belief that even small
furry heroes can achieve victory over evil through bravery and cleverness. In creating rich setting and characterization in
an Asian Indian garden, Kipling uses figures of speech, including similes, metaphors, idioms, and allusions that create
images that appeal to the reader’s senses. Note the use of the simile, or comparison between two objects, in the last
sentence of paragraph 2:

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!"

To understand the simile in the last sentence, readers should first identify the two objects being compared: a tail and a
bottle brush. Readers will recognize “tail” as a noun. They can then infer that a bottle brush is also a noun. While readers
will be familiar with the word “tail,” the term “bottle brush” may be unfamiliar. To determine the meaning of “bottle brush,”
readers should examine the context to identify how the two items are similar; they are fluffy. Readers should also examine
the context for the setting: “long grass,” which indicates the outdoors, possibly a garden. Readers may infer that a bottle
brush is a fluffy plant. To verify this preliminary definition, readers should check a dictionary. In it, they will find that a bottle
brush is “a plant that grows in warm regions known for spikes of brightly colored flowers.” If readers consider the reason for
Kipling’s use of this simile, they may infer a connection between the character of the mongoose, Rikki-tikki-tavi, and the
lush setting of the garden. Rikki-tikki is so much a part of the garden that he resembles the plants in some ways.

Model

Now that readers are becoming familiar with Kipling’s writing style, they are likely to notice another figure of speech in paragraph 24. Nag, “the
big black cobra,” speaks of the “great God Brahm.” This reference is a religious allusion.

“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!”

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.

Nag describes Brahm as a “god,” a word that is a noun. Readers can infer that Brahm is also a noun. In fact, they may go so far as to infer that
Brahm is a proper noun (note the capital letter “B”), or the name of the god to whom Nag refers. If readers recall the setting— India—they may be
able to infer further information regarding Brahm. One important religion in India is Hinduism. Readers may infer that Brahm is a Hindu god. To
verify this preliminary determination, readers should check a dictionary: “Brahma [this is the correct spelling] is the Hindu creation god thought to
have created the earth and all things on it.”

The context provides clues regarding the relationship between Nag and Brahm. Nag says that the first cobra helped “keep the sun off Brahm as
he slept.” This act of kindness is rewarded with the “mark” of a god on all the following generations of cobras. Readers can tell that the arrogant
Nag is proud of this mark as it’s the first thing he speaks of when introducing himself to Rikki-tikki. Kipling’s use of this religious allusion shows
that Nag views his species as a favorite of Brahm.

Using context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases, including figures of speech, allusions, and idioms, is a crucial
element of a reader’s ability to tackle complex texts. With this ability, the reader is able to stretch his or her reading skills to read texts from (or
about) a variety of cultures.

Your Turn

Read this passage (paragraph 7) from “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” and use context clues to figure out the meaning of the
idiom “eaten up with” Then answer the follow-up questions.

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.

Multiple Choice

Part A

What does the idiomatic expression “eaten up from nose to tail with curiosity” suggest about Rikki-tikki-tavi?

• 1. He is rightfully fearful of new experiences in the world.

  
  

• 2. His desire to know about the world is more important than other instincts.

  
  

• 3. He is always hungry and looking for food.

  
  

• 4. His curiosity has caused damage to his his nose and his tail.

  
  

Multiple Choice

Part B

Which context clue helped you determine the meaning that you chose in Part A?

• 1. “The motto of all the mongoose family is ‘Run and find out . . . .’”

  
  

• 2. “It is the hardest thing in the world to frighten a mongoose . . . . ”

  
  

• 3. “decided that it was not good to eat”

  
  

• 4. “sat up and put his fur in order”