"Oh no," exclaimed Darzee so the snake could hear, "my wing is broken and I can't fly." The bird just needed to get the snake away from her eggs. The bird fluttered down the garden path and Nagaina followed closely. Rikki-tikki ran to the melon patch and carried off the eggs. he was carrying the last egg, when Darzee flew over him. "Oh Rikki-tikki, Nagaina has trapped Teddy and his parents on the porch of the house." Rikki-tikki ran as fast as he could. He reached the porch with the last egg in his mouth. Teddy's family had sat down to eat, but none of them moved. Their faces were white as snow. Nagaina stood inches away from Teddy's chair. She was ready to strike at any moment. Rikki-tikki dropped the egg on the floor. He yelled, "Nagaina, I have the last of your eggs here. I have taken all the others from the garden. This is your last one. Leave them alone and I will give this egg to you." Nagaina spun around. She forgot everything for the sake of that one egg. As soon as she turned away from them, Teddy's father grabbed him and pulled him to safety. Now Nagaina turned on Rikki-tikki, and a wicked fight began. The two animals moved round and round in an angry dance on the porch. But Rikki-tikki was very quick. He jumped back with each of Nagaina's wicked strikes. Rikki-tikki forgot about the egg, though. After a few minutes, Nagaina got close to her treasure. Before Rikki-tikki could catch her, she snapped up the egg in her mouth and raced down the steps off into the garden. Rikki-tikki followed behind Nagaina. Darzee flew straight at the snake to slow her down a bit. She gave Rikki-tikki the chance to grab Nagaina's tail just as she slid down into her hole. Deep in the hole they continued their fight. The long grass at the entrance to the hole shook as the two struggled underground. Then the grass stopped waving. All the animals thought that Rikki-tikki had lost. Suddenly, Rikki-tikki's head popped out of the hole. "Nagaina has taken her egg and gone," he said. "She will never come back to this garden." The tiny mongoose was content. He owed Teddy's family a big favor for saving him from the flood. By keeping his English friends safe from Nag and Nagaina, Rikki-tikki had returned the kindness.
"Who is Nag? I am Nag. My family has ruled this garden for thousands of years. Look at me and be afraid." Rikki-tikki was scared for only a minute. He knew that as a mongoose, he was supposed to fight snakes. Nag knew it too. "Look out!" yelled Darzee's wife. At just that moment, another snake struck at Rikki-tikki from behind. The snake, Nag's wife Nagaina, had tried to bite Rikki-tikki. She just missed him. Then, the two snakes quickly slithered off into the grass. Later that night, Rikki-tikki heard a peculiar sound. Rikki-tikki could make out what seemed like the sound of snake skin rubbing on bricks. Nag or Nagaina was in the house! As quick as he could, Rikki-tikki ran off to Teddy's parent's bathroom. There he heard two voices whispering in the dark. It was Nag and Nagaina. "When the house is empty of people," Nag said to Nagaina, "we'll force Rikki-tikki to go away. Then the garden will be ours again. We are the king and queen of the garden. Remember, our eggs in the melon patch will be hatching soon." "Go in quickly," Nagaina said, "and scare off the people. Then you and I will take care of Rikki-tikki together." "Go in quickly," Nagaina said, "and scare off the people. Then you and I will take care of Rikki-tikki together." Rikki-tikki's eyes glowed the deep red of a polished ruby. He heard Nagaina slide away into the grass outside. Rikki-tikki thought of all the nice things that Teddy's family had done for him. He inched closer to the deadly snake. He would fight the snake and send him away for good. Then, as quickly as lightning, Rikki-tikki jumped. He grabbed the snake by the back of the neck. Nag whipped his head around. Then snake swung Rikki-tikki like a limp rag doll. Then Rikki-tikki heard a large crack. Teddy's father had taken a stick and hit Nag in the head. The cobra lay still on the cold tile floor. Teddy's father picked up the snake and got rid of him. "Oh my," Teddy's mother cried from the bathroom doorway. "That mongoose has saved all our lives." Rikki-tikki walked back into Teddy's room and slept. When morning came, he knew he would have to find Nagaina and fight her too. Once she found out that Nag was gone, she would be very dangerous...to everyone. Rikki-tikki went to the garden with a plan. "Darzee," he called, "you have to help to distract Nagaina while I go and find her eggs." Darzee agreed to fly over to where the snake was lying in the grass and lure her away. Nagaina was sitting by the house and crying over her lost Nag.
This tale is of a brave mongoose, named Rikki-tikki-tavi, and his great fight to help a family that saved him. It all took place in the far-off land of India. It began on the first sunny day after many days of darkenss and rain. A young English boy, Teddy, went outside to explore. There he found a mongoose in the road. A mongoose is a small animal, a bit like a cat and a bit like a weasel. This mongoose, Rikki-tikki, had thick hair and a bushy tail that made him look like a cat. His skinny head and the way he moved his feet were just like a weasel. His wiggly nose and eyes were pink. But when he got mad, his eyes turned deep, deep red. A big summer flood had washed Rikki-tikki out of the hole where he lived. The water carried him along and dumped him in a ditch just outside Teddy's house. This was how Teddy found him. "Look, Mummy, a dead mongoose," Teddy said as he carried Rikki-tikki inside. "Let's have a funeral." "No Teddy," said his mother. "Maybe he's just wet. whey don't we dry him off?" Teddy's father wrapped the animal in a towel to warm him up. The towel tickled Rikki-tikki's little pink nose. The mongoose sneezed and then looked around. Rikki-tikki was very curious. Rikki-tikki ran up to Teddy and rubbed his wet head under the boy's chin. "Hey, that tickles," Teddy cried. "He wants to be your friend," Teddy's father laughed. "Wow, how amazing," said Teddy's mother. "He's a wild animal. I guess he's so tame because we've been kind to him." "As long as we don't pick him up by the tail, or put him in a cage," said Teddy's father, "he'll be happy here." Then Rikki-tikki spent the whole day running through Teddy's house making himself at home. At bedtime, he climbed up into bed right next to Teddy. The next morning Rikki-tikki went out into the garden. It was a large yard with rosebushes and plenty of tall grass. Rikki-tikki heard a sad song coming from the trees. He looked up and saw Darzee, the songbird. One of her eggs had fallen out of her nest and a snake had eaten it. "Those snakes, Nag and Nagaina, are evil," Darzee cried. The snakes were cobras, some of the biggest, deadliest snakes around. "I'm sorry," said Rikki-tikki, "but I am new here. Who is Nag?" Just then, a big snake slithered up through the tall grass. It hissed a low breath that was harsh like steam from a radiator. Rikki-tikki was so scared by the sound that he jumped two feet.
The smell as they approached the dragon's den was horrible. George and the princess put George's shield near the sleeping dragon's head to protect themselves from the dragon's fiery snores. They watched the grains of sand fall every second. Suddenly the dragon woke up. Now, Sabra thought, surely the dragon would find them before the sand finished running through the hourglass. The dragon stood up and rubbed his eyes. As soon as the last grain of sand ran through the hourglass, the dragon yawned a great fiery yawn. "Now George!" Sabra shouted. George threw the hourglass up into the dragon's mouth. It shattered on its tongue into a cloud of icy mist. Now our two heroes had made the beast furious. He looked down to see them. Both George and Sabra hid behind the shield. The dragon took a breath to blow fire at them. But, because of the hourglass, only cool ice and soft snow came from the dragon's mouth. It took another deep breath, but the hermit's magic had changed the dragon. His mouth shut tight with ice. He quickly jumped into the warm lake with a huge splash, for his whole body was beginning to freeze. George and Sabra had saved the kingdom. It was Sabra who was the second knight that the old hermit had spoken of. The two returned to the castle to cries of joy and triumph. The grateful people of Silene were no longer prisoners in their own kingdom. The king offered George all he had in thanks, but George didn't want any payment. "I have many more adventures left to face," George told the people. "They are my greatest reward." George shared the story of the dragon of Silene to everyone on his journey. And it is still told today as an example of bravery. That is how George, the brave knight from the land of the fairies, earned his sainthood.
"I am Princess Sabra," she said. "Come with me." They tiptoed through what was once a deep, green forest. Sabra explained why the kingdom lived in such fear. A fearful dragon had lived in the kigdom for many years, she told him. The horrible beast had ravaged the land. May men had tried to kill the dragon, but its sharp claws, huge wings, and fiery breath made it impossible to reach, let alone kill. The people had moved inside the castle for protection. But soon the dragon had run out of animals to eat. "If you do not feed me sheep each day," the dragon roared,"I will come through those walls for my breakfast!" So each day, as the sun rose, so did the dragon, looking for its breakfast. "The dragon sleeps now," said the princess," but we gave up our last two sheep this very morning. Tomorrow we shall have nothing to give the dragon, and we shall all perish." "Then I have arrived at the right time," said George bravely. They came to a cave in the dark forest. "To slay the dragon," Sabra told George, "we need help, that is why we are here." In the cave lived a wise old hermit. Some said he was a wizzard who was over 900 years old. Sabra and George crept up to him. He did not turn to look at them, but he spoke as if he knew they were coming.
Long ago, it was told,
Two brave knights would come to know,
The only way to save the rest:
The Serpent's weakness in his breath.
With those words, an ancient hourglass appeared at their feet. George did not understand. He asked the strange little man, but the hermit wouldn't say anything else.When George and Sabra left the cave, it was already dark. They knew they must hurry to the dragon's lair. They had to get there while the dragon slept. "The hermit speaks in puzzles," Sabra sighed. "What do we do with this ancient timepiece?" George remembered what the fairy queen had told him. His best weapon, she had said, was his brain. He studied the hourglass closely. Each bit of sand looked like a magic crystal frozen in time. They arrived at the lake. George and Sabra walked softly through the fog so they would not be heard. The sands in the hourglass dropped with every careful step. "The hourglass will lead us," George whispered. "We must wait until all the sand has dropped through."
This is the tale of Saint George and the dragon.Iit has been told for over 15 centuries. It takes place during a time called the Dark Ages, when kings ruled the land, wizzards cast spells, and monsters roamed free. The queen of fairies had taken young George in as a baby. The fairies raised the child to grow up brave, strong, calm, courteous, quick, and clever. They taught him to be a noble knight. At last the time came when George was old enough to look for his destiny. The queen of fairies called hiim to see her. "Your journey starts today," she told him. "You have many adventures before you. Your fantastic quest will take six years. The world is filled with monsters to be killed, and battles to be won. You'll meet kings and poor men, wizards, witches, evil princes, and kind princesses." "Yes, Your Majesty," George bowed before the queen. He was very fond of her. He was sad to leave the land of the fairies, but he was not afraid. "Always remember one thing," the queen added, tapping his helmet. "You're greatest weapon is your brain." With those words, George set off. He traveled for weeks, through many wonderful kingdoms. But as George approached a place called Silene, he noticed that the land changed from lush and green to dark and desolate. It seemed the ground had been burned. there was no grass, only the darkest mud. The trees were bare and black, and a foul smell filled the air. As George walked through this stark land, he did not see a soul - not a bird, not a squirrel, and certainly not a single person. George finally saw a castle in the distance. A high, solid wall enclosed the castle and the small city around it. The gate was locked. Again, George saw no one around. When he got closer, he saw a young lady. She came silently through the gate. "Excuse me, dear lady," he started to say to her. "Quiet!" she said quickly. "Have you no sense? You should leave and never return." "But I am a brave knight here to help you," George whispered. "Alas, sir," the woman replied, "you are only one man. I'm afraid you cannot help." George looked into her eyes and said, "It is my destiny. I will not go until I have done all I can, even if it costs me my life."
Thumbelina told the field mouse of the horrible frog who took her away from her home. She told her how much she couldn't wait to get back to her mother and her garden. The field mouse invited Thumbelina to stay with her for the Winter. Together they gathered nuts, grains, and berries for the cold months ahead. Thumbelina sang songs and told stories, while the field mouse cokked their dinner or sewed by the fire. One day it began to snow lightly. Thumbelina had never seen snow before, so she opened the door to peek outside. But as she looked outside, she saw something strange. Lying near the front door was a young sparrow with a broken wing. He was shivering and he looked sad. Thumbelina called the field mouse. Together they helped the sparrow into the burrow and fed him some soup. Thumbelina, the sparrow, and the old field mouse spent the Winter together in the burrow. Thumbelina helped to mend the sparrow's wing so that he would be able to fly again. She told them stories of her kind mother and the beautiful garden where she was born. She hoped she would see her home again. One day, Thumbelina poked her head outside the burrown again. Tiny green shoots were beginning to appear all over the meadow. "Spring is coming!" she shouted to her friends. Soon the days were warm and sunny. The sparrow decided it was time to leave the burrow. "Thumbelina," he said, "you saved my life. Now I woiuld like to help you find your mother." Thumbelina said good-bye to her field mouse friend and climbed on top of the sparrow. She held on tight to the sparrow's feathers as he flew high above the trees. "Do you think we will ever find my mother?" Thumbelina asked the sparrow. "Yes, but first I have something special to show you," said the sparrow. He flew deep into the forest and landed gently in a thicket. All around them, beautiful flowers blossomed. No sooner had they landed, than a lily opened and out stepped a tiny boy. He wore a crown on his head, and he had a pair of shiny wings. "I am the Prince of the Flowers,: said the boy. "Live with us and be the Princess of the Flowers." He gave her a tiny pair of silvery wings and a beautiful crown. But Thumbelina missed her mother. She agreed to come back to the prince, but she had to see her mother. When Thumbelina flew into her mother's garden, the woman was so overjoyed to see her tiny daughter that she laughed and cried for joy.
The frog watched and waited until Thumbelina's mother went inside the cottage to get a cup of lemonade for Thumbelina. Then the frog jumped out from behind the reeds where he had been hiding and captured Thumbelina. He carried her away to the river where he lived and placed her on a lily pad. "Rest here while I go and make the plans for our wedding," said the frog. With that, he hopped away.Thumbelina did not want to be the wife of a frog. She wanted to be back home with her mother. She became so sad that she began to cry. Her tiny tears fell into the river and made ripples in its glassy surface. When the fish in the river saw Thumbelina crying, they decided to help her. They nibbled through the stem of her lily pad until it broke free and floated down the river, far away from the frog.
Thumbelina flowed gently on the river until finally the lily pad came to rest on a grassy bank. She climbed up the bank and found herself on the edge of a meadow. "I miss my home, but this will be a fine place to live until I can find my way back to Mother again," she said. She wove herself a tiny hammock out of grass blades and hung it up beneath a large daisy which sheltered her from the dew at night. During the day, she wandered through the meadow. If she was thirsty, she drank the dew off a blade of grass. If she was hungry, she had a bite of clover or some honeysuckle. She became friends with the butterflies and ladybugs in the meadow, and at night she slept safely under her daisy roof.
One day, Thumbelina noticed that the days were getting chilly. Fall was coming. Leaves began to fall from the trees. The nights were becoming colder too. She made herself a blanket out
of cotton from the meadow, but soon it was not enough. "I am so cold and I don't know when I'll get back home! How will I keep warm in the Winter?" cried Thumbelina. She began to take long walks, looking for a place where she could be safe and warm. One day, she found a small burrow inside a tree. She poked her head inside to see if anyone lived there. Inside the little burrow lived a friendly old field mouse. The burrow was snug and cosy, for the mouse had lined it with cotton and hay from the meadow. "Excuse me," said Thumbelina quietly, "may I come into your warm burrown for a moment?" the old field mouse almost never had any visitors in Autumn, and was happy to have one. "Come in, come in! You poor dear. Come over by the fire and have a cup of tea."
There was once a woman who lived in a tiny cottage which had a beautiful garden. She was very happy tending her garden, but over time she became sad. She had no children who could share her garden with her. She decided to ask the old witch in her village for her help. When the woman explained that she wanted a child, the old witch thought for a moment. Then she pulled a tiny bag out of a pocket in her cloak. "Plant these wildflower seeds and look after them. Soon you will have your wish." The woman was overjoyed that the witch had given her a solution to her problem. She took the seeds home with her. The next day, she planted them in a sunny corner of her garden. It was the prettiest spot that she could find. She watered and watched over the seeds every day. Soon, tiny green sprouts began to poke up out of the ground. Before long, the sprouts grew and blossomed into a beautiful patch of wildflowers. In the corner of the wildflower patch grew a single, beautiful tulip. Its deep pink petals were closed up tightly. The flower was so lovely that the woman could not resist bending down to smell it. As she knelt in front of the flower, its petals suddenly opened. The woman was amazed to find a tiny girl sitting inside. She wore a tulip petal for a dress and had long, gleaming hair. "You are the most beautiful child I have ever seen! And you are hardly even as big as my thumb. Would you like to stay with me in my garden? asked the woman. "Oh, yes!" replied the girl. "I will call you Thumbelina," said the woman. At home, she made Thumbelina a tiny bed out of an acorn shell. Thumbelina slept soundly under rose petal blankets. She and her mother lived very happily in the garden the whole summer long. She loved to play in the little pond in the middle of the garden, so her mother made her a tiny boat out of a maple leaf. She rowed around the pond using two blades of grass for oars. Her mother sat by the side of the pond and read stories to her while she played. Sometimes, Thumbelina sang as she rowed. She had the most beautiful, silvery voice that her mother always loved to hear. One day, a frog was hopping by the garden pond. Her heard Thumbelinas's beautiful voice. When he saw the tiny girl rowing her maple leaf boat, he said, "What a lovely creature! I must take her away to my lily pad to be my wife