With all but her last leg destroyed, Nagaina felt impotent against Rikki. I read this in my english class for the 7th grade and the story is called Rikki-tikki-tavi and Nagaina is a cobra snake and...
As they were trying to rise from the dead, the impotent chose to rebel and put up a fight. Alas! To no avail: the erection of the statue demanded too much physical as well as psychological input.