Many adjectives could be used to describe Rikki. First, he is curious, a trait that comes naturally to all mongooses. He explores the bungalow thoroughly on his first day there, and even at night, he is "a restless companion," for he has to check out every little noise. He is polite; his mother taught him how to behave "if ever he came across white men," so he sits on the people's laps and doesn't scratch or bite. He is ethical, having a strong sense for justice. He confronts Nag by asking, "Do you think it is right for you to eat fledglings out of a nest?" Physically, he is agile, having "so perfectly balanced a gait" that he can avoid a strike from a snake or leap onto a snake's back with ease. Although he knows his battle against the snakes is highly dangerous for him, he pursues it willingly, showing how brave he is. When he thinks he may not win against Nag, he determines to hold on rather than let go, proving himself an honorable mongoose of which his family would be proud. In his conversations with the other animals, he is driven. He can sometimes speak sharply to them, but that shows his intensity, not that he doesn't care about their feelings. That is why he says to the cowardly Chuchundra, ""Quick, Chuchundra, or I'll bite you!" and why he says to Darzee, "If I could get up to your nest, I'd roll your babies out! ... You don't know when to do the right thing at the right time." His careful planning and execution of his war against the snakes reveal how smart he is. Yet he does not become conceited. He is rather exasperated at Darzee's songs of praise; the narrator states at the end, "Rikki-Tikki had a right to be proud of himself, but he did not grow too proud." He remains humble as he fulfills his role as a dutiful mongoose protecting his human family.
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