Rikki-tikki-tavi
The protagonist of the story, Rikki-tikki-tavi is a young, inquisitive mongoose who saves his adoptive English family—and the animals in their garden—from the dastardly cobras Nag and Nagaina. He’s described as fearless, self-confident, and…
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Nag
Nag is a cobra, who along with his mate Nagaina, serves as the primary antagonist of the story. He’s depicted as capricious, self-serving, and cruel—readily devouring helpless animals in the garden such as Darzee…
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Nagaina
Nagaina, Nag’s mate, readily joins her husband in terrorizing the garden. She conspires with Nag not only to ambush Rikki-Tikki—striking at him while Nag distracts him—but also to murder Teddy and his family…
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Teddy
Teddy, the young English boy who first finds Rikki-tikki nearly drowned in a roadside ditch, is pivotal to the story, but less as a character in and of himself than as the focus of the…
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Teddy’s Father
Teddy’s father never receives a formal name, though it’s clear that he is British, and—since the story takes place in a British military compound—likely that he works with the military or government in some capacity…
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Teddy’s Mother
Teddy’s mother, Alice, is portrayed as emotionally sensitive, soft-hearted, and often reluctant to face the harsh realities of the world around her. For example, when Teddy’s father suggests that a snake might come into the…
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Darzee
Darzee and his wife are a pair of tailorbirds who live in the garden. Like many of the animal occupants, they are terrified of the snakes and lack the ability to stop their depredations. Their…
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Darzee’s Wife
The partner of the tailorbird Darzee, she proves less foolish than her husband. Kipling even calls her “a sensible bird,” and she provides Rikki-tikki with valuable assistance in his final battle against Nagaina…
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Chuchundra
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…
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Minor Characters
Karait
The young cobra hatchling, implied to be a child of Nag and Nagaina, whom Rikki-tikki battles in the garden early in the story. His small size in fact makes him more dangerous than the older snakes, as he is quicker and harder to catch, but Rikki-tikki defeats him nonetheless.
