April 1, 2025 Part 2
While somme things are the same the world over, some are unique to a specific place. In my part of the world rodents, mainly rats, plague any area where food is available. Here in Windhoek, Namibia, they have a better class of rat, namely, the mongoose. Anyone who has read Rikki-Tikki-Tavi will remember the story of the mongoose protecting the small boy from the deadly cobra. Here the mongoose protects dining guests from slipping on a fallen french fry. As you eat, one or two can be seen sprinting stealthily between the tables grabbing the dropped morsels while avoiding one of the resident cats. Like Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, the mongoose in Kipling’s The Jungle Book, the local variety are harmless to humans and unlike the North American rat, knows well enough to not overstay his welcome.