One day , a high summer flood washed him out of the burrow where he lived with his father and mother , and carried him , kicking and clucking , down a roadside ditch . He found a little wisp of grass floating there , and clung to it till he lost his senses . When he revived , he was lying in the hot sun on the middle of a garden path , very draggled indeed , and a small boy was saying , `` Here 's a dead mongoose . Let 's have a funeral . '' `` No , '' said his mother , `` let 's take him in and dry him . Perhaps he is n't really dead . '' They took him into the house , and a big man picked him up between his finger and thumb and said he was not dead but half choked . So they wrapped him in cotton wool , and warmed him over a little fire , and he opened his eyes and sneezed . `` Now , '' said the big man -LRB- he was an Englishman who had just moved into the bungalow -RRB- , `` do n't frighten him , and we 'll see what he 'll do . '' 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 XXXXX put him in a cage , he 'll run in and out of the house all day long .
So at between in like over that till to under