BOOKS AMEYA

The Whale and the Mirror is a folk tale from Andaman and Nicobar

Shan and his Whale-Wife | A Folk Tale from Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Long, long ago in Nicobar, there lived a rich fisherman by the name of Arong. He lived with his wife and children. Shan, his eldest son, enjoyed swimming and canoeing. One day, when Aron went deep-sea fishing, he took Shan along with him. The sea looked calm on that hot day, the sun blazing in Read more…

A Deal for the Delicious Khichdi is the story of a hungry bear that brokers a deal with an elderly couple for some khichdi

A Deal for the Delicious Khichdi | A Folk Tale from Punjab | Kalai

Once upon a time, an old man and his wife lived in a simple cottage, near the fruit orchard of a rich man. The branch of a pear tree hung right above the cottage yard. At times, some pears would fall into their yard. Every day, they waited eagerly to collect the fallen pears. On Read more…

Venugopal and the Mighty Man is a Tamil folk tale about a lazy man whose odd desire lands him in big trouble

Venugopal and the Mighty Man | A Folk Tale from Tamil Nadu | Ananya

A long time, there lived a wealthy farmer named Venugopal in the state of Tamil Nadu. He had multiple farms in not one, but a whopping ten villages! However, none of this land was truly his. He had inherited all of this wealth from his ancestors. Being the lazy fellow that he was, it was Read more…

Birds in Sen's Mouth is a Bengali folk tale about a rumor that blew out of proportions

Birds in Sen’s Mouth | A Folk Tale from West Bengal | Ananya

Once upon a time, in a small village in West Bengal lived a jolly man named Bhoumik Sen. He was immensely fond of taking long walks in his backyard garden. During one such walk, Sen began coughing vigorously all of a sudden. The coughing continued until a parrot’s feather emerged out of Sen’s mouth. He Read more…

An ingenuous Rangan pays his ailing father-in-law a visit. Does following his wife's instructions keep him away from trouble?

The Ailing Father-in-Law | A Folk Tale from Tamil Nadu | Kalai

One day, a loving daughter asked her partially deaf husband, Rangan, to visit her sick father. To help him, she wrote on a piece of paper all the things that Rangan had to do. She also made a list of the things her husband was supposed to say to her sick father. She asked Rangan Read more…

Shyam and the Pundit is a Telugu folk tale about the dilemma faced by a disciple when his guru is reborn as a pig

Shyam and the Pundit | A Folk Tale from Andhra Pradesh | Ananya

Once upon a time, there lived a very knowledgeable pundit in a small town. He had spent his entire life studying, and he was extremely well versed in all the scriptures. He had many disciples from all over the country. Amongst these disciples, Shyam was his favorite. The pundit greatly admired Shyam. Shyam also held Read more…

The Miraculous Apupa Cakes is the story of a Brahmin who defeats a group of robbers to rescue a princess

The Miraculous Apupa Cakes | A Folk Tale from Tamil Nadu | Kalai

A poor Brahmin and his wife lived in a secluded village. Although married for a while now, the couple were still childless. This prompted the Brahmin to take the decision of marrying again. His first wife, however, was initially averse to the idea of his second marriage. After she did agree, the Brahmin started living Read more…

A song for sale is a folk tale from the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh about a girl who is desperate to learn a traditional song

A Song for Sale | A Folk Tale from Madhya Pradesh | Ananya

Once upon a time, when listening to the songs sung by village women and looking at traditional dances used to be the only sources of entertainment, there lived a maiden by the name of Mangala. Many women in her village were well versed in a lot of folk songs. These songs were usually sung at Read more…

The Secret of the Mirror is the story of a mysterious mirror that drives a wedge between a happily married couple

The Secret of the Mirror | A Folk Tale from Chhattisgarh | Ananya

A long, long time ago, there lived a couple in their thirties in a small village around the Bastar region. Their names were Hari and Dejah. The couple collected bamboo shoots and then weaved beautiful baskets out of them. After they were done weaving a set of thirty to thirty-five baskets, Hari would go to Read more…

Faced with two unyielding bullies, will the witty Munshiji find a way to punish them for their misadventures?

Munshiji, the Witty Tax Collecter | A Folk Tale from Bihar | Ananya

A long time ago, in the kingdom of Patliputra, there lived a man better known as Munshiji. He worked as the king’s chief collector. He was in his mid-thirties and was usually an easygoing man. However, when it came to money matters, no one was as diligent and as strict as him. Munshiji was very Read more…