The Land of Cards: Stories, Poems, and Plays for Children
Page 15
Things To Think About
I Wish . . .
A recurring theme of Tagore’s works for children is the various wishes and fantasies that a child has. In this collection, the poem ‘Hero’ has a child wishing that he fought off a band of robbers to save his mother.
There have been several instances of famous books and stories written about children imagining or dreaming about things.
One of the most famous of such stories is Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (written by Lewis Carroll), where a little girl called Alice sits bored on a riverbank and is suddenly taken aback at the sight of a rabbit wearing a coat and glasses. She follows him down the rabbit hole and a series of adventures happen.
How many other books and movies can you think of where there are people doing strange things in their dreams?
The Man from Kabul
In the story ‘Kabuliwala’, Tagore recounts the story of a little girl’s changing relationship with a man from a distant country.
Interestingly, lots of people from Kabul travelled to Kolkata—then, the capital of India—in search of livelihood. In their distinctive clothes and large frames, the Kabuliwalas were a familiar sight in post-Independence Kolkata.
They sold dry fruits (cashew, walnut, etc.) and asafoetida (hing) in households. They also carried on a business of money-lending to locals.
The word Kabuliwala is probably wrong! The adjective to describe a person from Kabul could either be Kabuli or Kabul-wala. But a mixture of the two has happily been accepted in our everyday lingo.
Several books and movies have been made on how foreigners have come into a particular country and built up a great relationship.
The English movie The King and I describes the adventures of an English governess in Thailand (then called Siam) who arrives to teach English to the children of the royal household. The film is a musical, with many popular songs.
Another very popular movie Lawrence of Arabia describes the real-life adventures of T.E. Lawrence, a British Army officer who assisted Arab tribes in their war against the Ottoman Empire. Directed by the legendary director, David Lean, this film has some breathtaking action sequences in the deserts.
Can you think of some Indian books or films where a foreigner has an important role in assisting Indians?
Fun with Teachers
In the story ‘A Feast for Rats’, a gang of naughty boys harass a docile man in their train compartment, who turns out to be their teacher.
School children have always been harassing teachers with impossible questions and silly pranks.
The classic English movie The Sound of Music is about the notorious exploits of seven mischievous kids of the Von Trapp family with their governess Maria, and how they later befriend her. It has some of the most famous songs of all time (like Do Re Mi, Sixteen Going on Seventeen, My Favourite Things, and so on).
Do you have any stories from your school like that? Do you remember yourself or anybody you know playing a really funny prank on a teacher? How did the teacher take it? Was she angry? Or did she take it in her stride?
Educational Model
Tagore envisioned an educational system that was non-authoritarian and humane, and facilitated an overall development of the personality. He was against the idea of small children being burdened with books.
Tagore has made fun of bookish learning and so-called scholars in several stories and poems. In fact, some of the works in this collection have ridiculed the ‘professorial’ habit of making simple things difficult. Can you point out which ones?
Nature and Humanism
Many of Tagore’s works highlight his love for nature and concern for the environment. The story ‘Bolai’ is about a boy who is very close to nature and extremely protective about the tree he has planted.
Can you name another poem in this volume that depicts Tagore’s love for nature?
His humanism was another such trait that comes across through his works. He advocated a liberal, tolerant approach towards all human beings, including those who are underprivileged or outsiders.
Two of his works in this anthology highlight this. Can you name them?
Starting Young
Rabindranath Tagore wrote his first poem—a couplet—when he was not even seven years old. By the time he was sixteen, he had already published his first substantial body of work under the pseudonym Bhanu Singha. He also wrote his first short story when he was sixteen, and a full-length dramatic play by the time he was twenty.
There are several examples of prodigies in different fields, who have shown signs of genius at an early age.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart—a noted Western classical music composer—also started composing from the age of five! He was playing the piano ever since he was three years old.
Sachin Tendulkar—one of the greatest batsmen of all times—was the youngest Indian to play Test cricket (at sixteen years and 205 days). Playing competitive cricket since he was less than ten years old, Tendulkar is one of the youngest players in the world to have played first-class cricket, scored centuries and reached various milestones.
How many prodigies can you think of who have done something amazing at a very early age? Have you read about them or seen them on TV? Do you know someone personally? Are you one?
You can read more about Tagore’s early life in his autobiographical work Boyhood Days, available in an exciting Puffin Classics edition.
Glossary
alaka: celestial palace of Kuvera, god of wealth, in the capital of Indra, king of gods
andarmahal/antahpur: the inner apartments of a house, where women are secluded
bakul: fragrant white flower of a large evergreen tree
bankh: a yoke slung over the shoulder to carry loads suspended from both ends
Benebou: a small clay puppet
bheri: kettledrum
bhishti: water carrier
bigha: a measure of land, approximately 6400 sq. cubits or 1/3 acre
cheli: silk sari used as wedding attire
chhatu: ground barley or maize
choga: a long, loose outer garment
chorchori: a spiced vegetable preparation
damama: ancient war trumpet
Destroyer: Rudra, the god of destruction in Hindu mythology, one of the divine trinity
dhak: a large drum, a tympan
dhol: a long, narrow drum
gamchha: a handwoven towel
ghasiara: one who supplies grass for cattle
guli-danda: a game in which a spindle shaped piece of wood is knocked into the air with a stick
handi: earthen cooking pot
jagajhampa: ancient war-drum
janta: nut-cracker
jataiburi: a terrifying old woman with magic powers
kaba: a very long, loose shirt
kada: a large, tumbler shaped war drum, usually correlated with a nakada
kadamba: a type of flower
kalmegh: medicinal plant used in the preparation of liver tonic kanshi: a bell-metal gong
kantha: coverlet made of patched and embroidered cotton cloth karabi: oleander
kash: a tall reed with downy white flowers
khoichur: globular sweetmeat made of toasted paddy boiled in sugar malt
khol: cymbals
khur: sharp instrument used for shaving
kobiraj: physician who follows the ancient Ayurvedic system of medicine
kodma: a type of sweet
koromcha: a sour fruit, crimson in colour
madhavi: myrtle
maund: a measure of weight; 40 seers, or about 82 lb
mridanga: tabor
nahabat: platform or chamber where the shehnai orchestra plays
nakada: war drum, a smaller kada
nolok: nose ring with a pendant
paik: footman
Pavandev’s son: The monkey god Hanuman, who created havoc by setting Sri Lanka on fire, in a famous episode in the Ramayana
pishemoshai: term of address for fat
her’s sister’s husband
saat bhai champa: popular folk tale about seven brothers, magnolia flowers, and their only sister, Parul or trumpet flower
seven kings’ treasure: reference to the fabled wealth of seven kings in Bengali folklore
shishu wood: wood from the tree dalbergia sissoo
tiki: tuft of uncut hair kept on the head by Hindus
topshe: a variety of small fish, sometimes called the mango fish
turi: bugle-horn
veena: a string instrument
yaksha: spirit who guards the treasure of Kuvera, the god of wealth, in the netherworld
Read More in Puffin Classics
Malgudi Schooldays
R.K. Narayan
Introduction by Shashi Deshpande
‘It was Monday morning. Swaminathan was reluctant to open his eyes . . . He shuddered at the very thought of school . . .’
R.K. Narayan’s classic stories about the adventures of a boy named Swami and his friends Rajam and Mani, in a sleepy and picturesque South Indian town called Malgudi, have regaled both young and old for years. Swami’s days are full of action. When he is not creating a ruckus in the classroom or preparing, in his inimitable way, for exams, he’s dreaming about running down the streets of Malgudi with the coachman’s son’s hoop; playing tricks on his grandmother; or stoning the school windows, inspired by a swadeshi demonstration. But the greatest feat of Swami and his friends lies in putting together a cricket team for the MCC (the Malgudi Cricket Club) and challenging the neighbouring Young Men’s Union to a match. Just before the match, however, things go horribly, horribly wrong, and Swami has no option but to run away from home, wanting never to return to Malgudi again . . .
Malgudi Schooldays is a slightly abridged version of Narayan’s celebrated novel Swami and Friends, and includes two stories featuring Swami from Malgudi Days and Under the Banyan Tree. A delightfully funny account of the life of a harum-scarum schoolboy by one of the greatest English language writers of our time, Malgudi Schooldays enchants and captivates
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The Adventures of Mowgli
Rudyard Kipling
Introduction by Ruskin Bond
The incredible story of wolf-boy Mowgli, now in one volume.
Rudyard Kipling’s eternal classics, The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book are most loved for the stories of Mowgli, the boy who grew up in a wolf pack. This book brings together all the stories of Mowgli. It begins with Father Wolf rescuing an abandoned baby boy from the tiger Shere Khan, terror of the jungle. The child grows up among the animals, befriending Bagheera the Panther, Balu the Bear, and making mortal enemies with Shere Khan the Tiger. He is kidnapped by monkeys, exiled by the wolf pack, disowned by humans, till he finally vanquishes Shere Khan and returns to the forest. But the call of his own kind grows stronger, and he eventually finds his own, tenuous place among men and animals.
Kipling’s creations from the two Jungle Books—human and animal—have remained alive in literature and celluloid for nearly a century. They have mesmerized, entertained and educated generations of children. In this special Puffin Classics edition, Mowgli comes alive once more, accompanied by illustrations rendered by Gond artist Durga Bai, and an affectionate, heartwarming introduction by that other favourite children’s writer, Ruskin Bond.
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Chandrakanta
Devakinanadan Khatri
Translated from the Hindi and retold by Deepa Agarwal
Introduction by Prasoon Joshi
Chandrakanta’s eyes grew wide when she discovered a huge stone crane right in the middle of the ruins. The moment she drew closer, the bird opened its mouth. Alarmed, Chandrakanta moved away, and accidentally stepped on a stone slab. Immediately, the crane swung around, opened its beak and swallowed Chandrakanta!
The dashing Prince Virendra of Naugarh is madly in love with the breathtakingly beautiful Princess Chandrakanta of Vijaygarh. But there are obstacles galore in the paths of the lovers. There are evil ministers with sinister magicians at their beck and call, enemy kings only too happy to go into battle, masters of disguise who can fool the cleverest of spies, and magic all around. Then Chandrakanta gets trapped in a fantastic maze, from which only Virendra can rescue her. But will he be able to decipher the clues, follow the trail correctly and get to her before it is too late? And will their friends, Tej Singh, Chapla and the others, help them adequately with their deep knowledge of the art of divination and disguise?
A rollicking story of fantasy and adventure, Chandrakanta has been read and loved since 1888, when the book was published serially in short chapters. The first mystery novel in Hindi, and the biggest popular bestseller of its age, Chandrakanta was a trailblazer. This modern translation and retelling of a gem from Indian literature is sure to mesmerize a new generation of readers.
Read More in Puffin Classics
One Dozen Stories
Satyajit Ray
Translated from the Bengali by Gopa Majumdar and the author
Introduction by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Twelve timeless stories by a master storyteller.
The creator of immortal films, Satyajit Ray was also a writer of great repute. In this collection are some of his most extraordinary and gripping stories that will take readers to realms of adventure, fantasy and horror. While ‘Bonku Babu’s Friend’ deals with a mofussil schoolteacher’s encounter with a friendly and somewhat awkward alien, ‘Anath Babu’s Terror’ is the tale of a ghost hunter’s foray into a haunted house. Meet Bipin Chowdhury, who seems to be suffering from a most disagreeable bout of amnesia, and read the amazing story of a carnivorous plant with a monstrous appetite in ‘The Hungry Septopus’. This collection also includes two stories featuring everyone’s favourite detective, Feluda.
Published originally in Bengali as Ek Dojon Goppo, this collection—the first in a series of short stories written by the best-loved writer of mystery and suspense—is funny, sinister and intriguing by turns and truly a must-have.
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First published in Puffin by Penguin Books India 2010
www.penguinbooksindia.com
This anthology copyright © Penguin Books India 2010
Translation copyright © Radha Chakravarty
A translation of the poem ‘The Boy’ first appeared in Puffin Classics: Boyhood Days, Penguin Books India, 2007
Penguin Books India gratefully acknowledges Diptakirti Chaudhuri for creating the ‘Classic Plus’ section.
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