Rudyard Kipling’s “Rikki Tikki Tavi”, is a fable depicting the spread of the British Empire into India. In this story a British family move into a bungalow with a garden. Within the garden and the house are the natives. The main dialogue takes place between the animals (the natives), they must decide to join the empire or not.
The mongoose, Rikki Tikki Tavi, has joined the empire. The snakes, Nag and Nagaina, are fighting against the empire. The other animals are torn between, you help the empire and the native want to kill you, you help the natives and the empire want to kill you.
The message being sent by the British empire was, join us and we will protect you, or fight against us and we will kill you and your entire family. This is shown when Rikki kills Nag and Nagaina and then destroys their eggs as well, to ensure that their children will not be able to turn against them one day.
Humanities 101 