Eye to eye and head to head, ( Keep the measure, Nag. ) This shall end when one is dead; ( At thy pleasure, Nag. ) Turn for turn and twist for twist⁠— ( Run and hide thee, Nag. ) Hah! The hooded Death has missed! ( Woe betide thee, Nag! )

This is the story of the great war that Rikki-tikki-tavi fought single-handed, through the bathrooms of the big bungalow in Segowlee cantonment. Darzee, the tailorbird, helped him, and Chuchundra, the muskrat, who never comes out into the middle of the floor, but always creeps round by the wall, gave him advice; but Rikki-tikki did the real fighting.