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Chuchundra is a very timid muskrat who lives in Teddy’s family’s house. Rikki-tikki encounters him during one of his nightly patrols, and quickly realizes the muskrat is typical of many of the animal residents of the garden in that he’s terrified of the cobras Nag and Nagaina. Still, he gives Rikki-tikki invaluable information about deducing the cobras’s movements around the home. His fearfulness is contrasted with Rikki-tikki’s courage, helping it stand in even starker relief. His desire to hep marks him as a member of the larger community—worthy of protection even if Rikki-tikki finds his cowardice and whining irritating.
Chuchundra Quotes in Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
The Rikki-Tikki-Tavi quotes below are all either spoken by Chuchundra or refer to Chuchundra. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Quotes
Chuchundra sat down and cried till the tears rolled off his whiskers. “I am a very poor man,” he sobbed. “I never had spirit enough to run out into the middle of the room. H’sh! I mustn’t tell you anything. Can’t you hear, Rikki-tikki?”
Rikki-tikki listened. The house was as still as still, but he thought he could just catch the faintest scratch-scratch in the world—a noise as faint as that of a wasp walking on a window-pane—the dry scratch of a snake’s scales on brick-work.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis:
While patrolling the family’s house one night, Rikki-tikki comes across the immensely timid and fearful Chuchundra. Despite his cowardice, Chuchundra proves useful in this encounter by directing Rikki-tikki to identify the sound of the cobras. This scene also sets up one of the most important differences between the “rule” of Teddy’s father and the “rule” of the cobras. The cobras essentially embrace a might-makes-right philosophy, where smaller or weaker community members are prey for the strong. (This is equated with both the natural world and India.) In this world, Chuchundra could do little besides cower, and even the fear of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaq
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Chuchundra Character Timeline in Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
The timeline below shows where the character Chuchundra appears in Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
That night, Rikki-tikki sets out on patrol of the house and meets the muskrat Chuchundra skulking in the shadows. Chuchundra lacks the courage to scurry into the center of the...
(full context)
