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 . `` Do n't be frightened , Teddy , '' said his father . `` That 's his way of making friends . '' `` Ouch ! He 's tickling under my chin , '' said Teddy . 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 . `` 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 . '' `` All mongooses are like that , '' said her husband . `` If Teddy does n'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 . '' 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 . `` 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 . '' 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 XXXXX Teddy 's nursery to watch how kerosene lamps were lighted , and when Teddy went to bed Rikki-tikki climbed up too .
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