describe the fight between the mongoose and the snake
The encounter between the arch nemeses, the cobra and the mongoose, took place in the clearing beneath the banyan tree in bright sunshine. It was to be a battle of the champions. Hissing in defiance and with his forked tongue flashing in and out, the cobra raised three feet off the ground and spread his broad, spectacled hood. The mongoose bushed his tale and the long hair on its spine stood up. The cobra stood on the defensive, swaying slowly from side to side, trying to mesmerise the mongoose into making a false move but the latter was aware of its opponent's tactics, so it refused to meet them. Instead, it fixed his gaze at a point just below the cobra's hood, and opened the attack. Moving forward quickly until it was within the cobra's reach, the mongoose pretended to move to one side. Immediately the cobra struck, its hood coming down with unforeseeable swiftness but the little fellow jumped neatly to one side. It darted in swiftly, biting the snake on the back and darting away out of reach again. The fight escalated into a gory battle, with several rounds of intense fighting ensuing between them. Eventually, the cobra started to weaken and the mongoose, walking fearlessly up to it, raised himself on his short legs and with a lightning snap had the big snake by the snout. The cobra writhed and lashed about in a frightening manner and even coiled itself about the mongoose but to no avail. The mongoose persisted, grimly hanging on until its opponent ceased to struggle and then it smelt along its quivering length, gripped it round the hood and dragged it into the bushes. The battle had been won.