Chapter Notes and Summary
Part I This is a story about what a young boy (the author) saw at his grandfather’s house. huge banyan tree stood in garden. author had built a crude platform halfway up tree. He would spend his afternoons there. His first friend was a small grey squirrel. He used platform as his library. When author did not feel like reading, he would look down. Through leaves, one day he saw an interesting fight between a mongoose and a snake.
Part II author saw a big black cobra gliding out of a clump of cactus. At same time, a mongoose emerged from bushes and went straight for cobra. cobra and mongoose came face to face in a clearing beneath banyan tree. Both got ready for a fight. mongoose fixed his look just below cobra’s hood and opened attack. fight started. Every time cobra attacked, mongoose sprang aside, jumped in and bit.
Two other spectators, a crow and a myna also participated in fight in which crow lost his life. fight went on for some time. cobra grew tired after a while. mongoose raised himself on his short legs and with a lightning snap caught cobra by snout. mongoose hung grimly on until snake ceased to struggle. Then, mongoose gripped cobra round hood and dragged it into bushes.
The myna came to ground, peered into bushes and flew away, congratulating mongoose.