At nightfall he ran into Teddy 's nursery to watch how kerosene lamps were lighted , and when Teddy went to bed Rikki-tikki climbed up too . But he was a restless companion , because he had to get up and attend to every noise all through the night , and find out what made it . Teddy 's mother and father came in , the last thing , to look at their boy , and Rikki-tikki was awake on the pillow . `` I do n't like that , '' said Teddy 's mother . `` He may bite the child . '' `` He 'll do no such thing , '' said the father . `` Teddy 's safer with that little beast than if he had a bloodhound to watch him . If a snake came into the nursery now -- '' But Teddy 's mother would n't think of anything so awful . Early in the morning Rikki-tikki came to early breakfast in the veranda riding on Teddy 's shoulder , and they gave him banana and some boiled egg . He sat on all their laps one after the other , because every well-brought-up mongoose always hopes to be a house mongoose some day and have rooms to run about in ; and Rikki-tikki 's mother -LRB- she used to live in the general 's house at Segowlee -RRB- had carefully told Rikki what to do if ever he came across white men . Then Rikki-tikki went out into the garden to see what was to be seen . It was a large garden , only half cultivated , with bushes , as big as summer-houses , of Marshal Niel roses , lime and orange trees , clumps of bamboos , and thickets of high grass . Rikki-tikki licked his lips . `` This is a splendid hunting-ground , '' he said , and his tail grew bottle-brushy at the thought of it , and he scuttled up and down the garden , snuffing here and there till he heard very sorrowful voices in a thorn-bush . It was Darzee , the Tailorbird , and his wife . They had made a beautiful nest by pulling two big leaves together and stitching them up the edges with fibers , and had filled the hollow with cotton and downy fluff . The nest swayed to and fro , as they sat on the rim and cried . `` What is the matter ? '' asked Rikki-tikki . `` We are very miserable , '' said Darzee .
`` One of our babies fell out XXXXX the nest yesterday and Nag ate him . ''
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