translation Devashish Makhija design Nina Sabnani We are tall tumbling treesWe are berries in the breezeWe are tigers, we are haresWe are rumbling rolling bears… The rhythm of the verse draws us beat by beat into a forest, lush and alive. But who are the ‘we’, so steeped in every part of it? Words and pictures sing together in this light and...
Kuk... Kuk… The poor rooster can't KUKAROOKOO because his throat is so parched. There is not a drop of water left in the village pond. The only hope is to find a badwa who can ask the gods to send rain. What does the badwa tell them to do? Go home and paint! The adventure-filled origin myth about Bhil art revolves around the thirst for rain and water...
From the hills of Meghalaya, adventurous Ka Iew looks down at the sun-drenched plains of Sylhet and challenges her sister Ka Ngot to a race. In an instant, Ka Iew becomes a river ready to rush downhill, and Ka Ngot has no choice but to join her. Who reaches first? A Khasi folktale filled with local flavour and luminous illustrations that evoke the...
Tak tak sum, tak tak sum… Hambreelmai sits by the Kamblang river, happy at her loom, copying patterns from the clouds, the birds, the ripples in the water. She is the first weaver, taught by the goddess Matai herself. One day, Sheipung the porcupine sees her exquisite cloth and wants it… What happens next is the story of how the Mishmi people learnt to...
There was a time when happiness began to leak out of the world. Everything dried up. No colour, no food, no smiles – only hunger, sadness and quarrels. One old woman decided that something had to be done, and she heard from the wind about a magical fish that lived in a green-green lake... Told by a Gond storyteller and illustrated by a Gond artist, this...
Who should get more rotis — Ookamma or Ookaiah? A folktale about a quarrelling old couple is woven into another story about the lives of children in a village, growing up, playing, going to a government school, watching adults squabble, feeling hunger, understanding friendship and, most importantly, sitting under a neem tree and listening to stories from...
A dusty path runs through a village where people and animals keep walking up and down, up and down. Others, on faster feet and wheels, shout “Out of the way, out of the way.” In a simple lyrical way, the author subverts commonly held views on environment and development by showing simultaneously the growth of a wide-spreading tree and a busy winding road,...
The tiger, a popular character in Korean art and folktales, is a villain in this origin tale which has illustrations inspired by kamishibai, Japanese paper theatre. Having gobbled up the rice cake-seller and all her rice cakes, the tiger chases her two small children. But they escape. And the tiger? Although in the traditional ending the tiger too dies,...
When living happily together becomes difficult, the creatures of the world decide that the largest group among them should rule the world. In the race for numbers, it looks as though one shy creature is going to make the difference. Based loosely on an Australian Aboriginal tale and with elements of Indian and Aboriginal art, this story demonstrates a...
How did the Warlis first begin to paint their walls with shining, white images? The paintings of the Warli people of Maharashtra are famous worldwide for their simplicity as much as liveliness. Beginning with the story of little Shirvi who wants to give her parents a happy surprise, author Shamim Padamsee takes a whimsical journey into how the art may...
A little girl wants a story that never ends. Grandmother starts off a chain story typical of folktales the world over – an old man from Madikere comes to Bengaluru, the old man's wife, then her daughter, the daughter's doll, the doll's dog… And finally, in a clever twist, it fuses into another story and comes full circle – so it can never end! Bold,...
Sonabai lives beside a tree that bears delicious red berries. Every day she picks the berries and makes sweets to sell in the market. She is very content... until Kolaba the fox sneaks into her life. Ranjan De's papercuts add to the mystery and fun of this well-loved Marathi folktale.
The famous storyteller, Gorannagaru, is in the village to recite the Ramayana. Bangaramma forces her husband, Penchilayya, to attend. Tired and sleepy, he goes quite unwillingly – and finds the stories sweet one night, salty another! Bangaramma is intrigued... A gentle folktale from Andhra Pradesh about the magic of stories, with pictures in the style of...
Big, burly Tarlochan is a champion wrestler, eager for a real challenge. So when he hears of Paramjit, reputed to be unbeatable, he sets off across the Sutlej river to take him on. The two begin their bout with gusto and become so absorbed in it that they literally get 'carried away'! The pictures for this folk fantasy from Punjab imbibe the spirit of its...
Bhikhubhai's mouth waters for some coconut... fresh, juicy, grated, with a dash of sugar. But there aren't any in the house and he must go to the market for one. The problem is that he'd rather not pay for it! This hilarious folktale from Gujarat has pictures based on the stylised painted paper scrolls used by Garoda storytellers in northern Gujarat.
Nazneen carefully cooks some fragrant marzwangan kurma for a special family dinner. But just when it is all ready, guests arrive — unwanted guests, who cleverly sniff out a good free meal. A warm, amusing folktale from Kashmir which captures life in a simple Kashmiri household. The illustrations use traditional Kashmiri embroidery motifs to provide...
Kalia, a poor cobbler, lives with his wife in Patna. He makes beautiful shoes with fine curling points. One day, tired of being poor, he seeks the help of a holy man who appoints him a ghost, Bhootram, who will earn Kalia a lot of money. The only problem is that Bhootram must always be kept busy – or he will eat them up! What will they do? The...
In the beginning, the Bhilalas believed, there was only water. The harassed and wet subjects beg their lazy god to create land so that they can get dry and stay that way. The poor god is put to all sorts of trouble before this wish can be granted. With a fantasy element that reflects the unfettered nature of the oral tradition, this zany folktale from...
The children of a village take the cows to graze in a forest, where they love to play under a large, shady banyan tree. One day, a bad-tempered snake who lives under the tree bites a cow, and the children become afraid. The snake too is unhappy — until he learns the secret of life from a wandering monk. The folktale from Bengal has pictures adapted from...
In the beginning, the peacock had no markings on its shimmering blue-green tail. The sun king's daughter sees this beautiful creature one day and falls in love. Much against her father's wishes, she marries the peacock. What happens then and how the peacock gets ‘eyes' on its tail is what this folktale from Rajasthan is all about. The bold, stylised...
Muthu, a poor playwright, his wife Chellam, and their six children live a hard life. Chellam cooks and cleans homes while Muthu writes plays and sometimes doesn't get paid. One day, Muthu goes in search of a job. He loses his way in the jungle and falls asleep under a tree. What happens then? Find out in this folktale from Tamil Nadu, with pictures in the...
An endearing Marathi folktale about two sisters. Ekkesvali has one hair on her head. Dhonkesvali has two and thinks she's great. What happens when they meet an old woman who lives alone in a clearing right in the middle of the forest? This folktale takes on a special joyousness with Ranjan De's stylised representations and is full of interesting details...
An endlessly entertaining tale from Kerala with repetitive text and animated pictures. Eecha the practical fly and her friend Poocha the greedy cat make delicious rice soup. While Eecha flies off to fetch a jackfruit leaf with which to spoon out the soup, Poocha watches over the pot. But Poocha is hungry, so hungry…
The Ningthou and Leima, king and queen of Manipur, rule well over their meeyam, their people. As the years roll by, it is time to decide who will succeed to the throne. The Ningthou and Leima desire that the throne go, not to the eldest son, but to the wisest, most able child. And so they hold a competition. Who wins the bout? This folktale from Manipur...
