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In "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" what does Chuchundra do all night? Why is he afraid of Rikki-Tikki?

Chuchundra, the muskrat, is described as a "brokenhearted little beast." All night long he tries to get up the courage to be able to run into the middle of the room, but he is too cowardly to do so. Instead he just hugs the wall, whimpering and cheeping all night. Not surprisingly, then, when Rikki approaches him, he begs him, almost weeping, not to kill him. Of course, Rikki has no intention of harming the...

Chuchundra, the muskrat, is described as a "brokenhearted little beast." All night long he tries to get up the courage to be able to run into the middle of the room, but he is too cowardly to do so. Instead he just hugs the wall, whimpering and cheeping all night. Not surprisingly, then, when Rikki approaches him, he begs him, almost weeping, not to kill him. Of course, Rikki has no intention of harming the muskrat and tells him so. Then Chuchundra finds another reason to fear Rikki: He imagines that the cobra, Nag, will mistake Chuchundra for Rikki and kill him some night. That thought is equally ludicrous because Rikki is lithe and quick, while Chuchundra is heavy and plodding. Beyond that, Rikki points out that Nag lives in the garden, a place that Chuchundra doesn't go. Chuchundra's fear of Rikki, just like his fear of the middle of the room, is groundless. 

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