"This is the story," says the narrator, "of the great war that Rikki-Tikki-Tavi fought single-handed through the bathrooms of the big bungalow in Sugauli cantonment in India. Darzee, the tailorbird, helped him. And Chuchundra, the muskrat, who never comes out in the middle of the floor but always creeps around by the wall, gave him advice. But Rikki did the real fighting." An English father and his son save Rikki-Tikki-Tavi after the poor mongoose nearly drowns. Rikki quickly becomes a cherished member of the family. The mongoose's motto: run and find out. And what Rikki finds out is a plot by two cobras to kill his newly adopted family.
—J. Spurlin