SOLVED. Children's book about a mongoose. [s]

[Amanda]

When I was a child we had a set of anthologies published by Disney (I think). Each one was focused on a different them and included a chapter or two from various classical and popular books (i.e. Little House on the Prairie, etc.). One of the selections involved a mongoose (I'm pretty sure it wasn't Riki Tiki Tavi) and was set in India or the Middle East. In the excerpt I read, the mongoose protected a child from a snake.

Any clues?

Thanks,
Amanda

[Karen]

That really does sound like Rikki Tikki Tavi.

[Amanda]

Are there different editions or versions? The one(s) I've looked at don't match my memory.

[Aerulan]

Amanda wrote: "Are there different editions or versions? The one(s) I've looked at don't match my memory."


What didn't match? In Rikki Tikki Tavi there's a bit where Rikki saves the son from a small snake, aside from the part with the two cobras. Could that be what you remember?

(view spoiler)[But just as Teddy was stooping, something flinched a little in the dust, and a tiny voice said: ``Be careful. I am death!'' It was Karait, the dusty brown snakeling that lies for choice on the dusty earth; and his bite is as dangerous as the cobra's. But he is so small that nobody thinks of him, and so he does the more harm to people.

Rikki-tikki's eyes grew red again, and he danced up to Karait with the peculiar rocking, swaying motion that he had inherited from his family. It looks very funny, but it is so perfectly balanced a gait that you can fly off from it at any angle you please; and in dealing with snakes this is an advantage. If Rikki-tikki had only known, he was doing a much more dangerous thing that fighting Nag, for Karait is so small, and can turn so quickly, that unless Rikki bit him close to the back of the head, he would get the return-stroke in his eye or lip. But Rikki did not know: his eyes were all red, and he rocked back and forth, looking for a good place to hold. Karait struck out. Rikki jumped sideways and tried to run in, but the wicked little dusty gray head lashed within a fraction of his shoulder, and he had to jump over the body, and the head followed his heels close.

Teddy shouted to the house: ``Oh, look here! Our mongoose is killing a snake''
(hide spoiler)]

[Orsolya Könyvtáros (formerly Memp)]

There are lots of editions and retellings. I know that there was
one illustrated by Chuck Jones which was more cartoonish-looking.

[Amanda]

Aerulan wrote: "Amanda wrote: "Are there different editions or versions? The one(s) I've looked at don't match my memory."


What didn't match? In Rikki Tikki Tavi there's a bit where Rikki saves the son from a sm..."


Hmm. Maybe that is it. I take it this is from the original Kipling text?

[Aerulan]

Amanda wrote: "Aerulan wrote: "Amanda wrote: "Are there different editions or versions? The one(s) I've looked at don't match my memory."


What didn't match? In Rikki Tikki Tavi there's a bit where Rikki saves t..."


Yep, that's from the story, I just googled til I found the text.

The formatting is a little odd but the whole thing (at least it all matches my memory of it) is here if you want to take a look.
https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mongoose/rtt....

[Amanda]

Yes, that's the one. Thanks very much.

Amanda

[Aerulan]

You're welcome. Glad we could help you find it.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Amanda, please unprivate your account. Moderators can't see all the threads you've started when you have a private account.