BOOKS AMEYA

Tanyen and his Brothers, a folk tale from Nagaland

Tanyen and his Brothers | A Folk Tale from Nagaland | Ananya Susarla

Once upon a time, three brothers lived in a small village in Nagaland. Tanyen was the eldest, followed by Zhoshu and Penhun. Tanyen worked day and night in the farm that the brothers had inherited from their father. The farm was a small, square plot of land. No matter how hard Tanyen worked to make Read more…

Jyamphi Moong, a Lepcha folk tale from Sikkim on Ameya

Jyamphi Moong | A Folk Tale from Sikkim | Ananya Susarla

Once upon a time, there used to live a ranch owner on the foothills of the Himalayas. He was part of the Lepcha tribe. He had recently employed a fellow Lepcha tribesman named Atek to look after his ranch cattle. The ranch owner then left for his hometown to spend the entire winter with his Read more…

The Unwelcome Guests is an Ameya folk tale from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu

The Unwelcome Guests | A Folk Tale from Tamil Nadu | Ananya Susarla

A long time ago, in the village of Thovalai, there lived a young man named Ponnam. Ponnam was a tall man with broad shoulders and a black, curly mane. The color of his eyes went well with his jet-black hair and his skin had a light-brown tone. Ponnam was known for his generosity, and always Read more…

Why the Sun and the Sky Went Up is a folk tale from Karnataka

The Sun and the Sky | A Folk Tale from Karnataka | Ananya Susarla

Once upon a time, the sun and the sky were so close to the land that the trees grew crooked and the people could barely stand upright. The sunrays reached the earth unhindered. Heatstroke was a common occurrence, and one in every three people suffered from it. One day, an old farmer with a freshly Read more…

The Fairy who Cried Gems is a Ladakhi folk tale

The Fairy who Cried Gems: A Folk Tale from Ladakh

Once upon a time, there lived in a small hut a boy with his grandmother. To make ends meet, he would go into the forest every day, looking for wood to sell. Life went on as normal until the zamindar, or the landlord, began harassing them, demanding a higher tax. One day, when the boy Read more…

The Goat that Ate Tigers is a folk tale from West Bengal about wit and presence of mind

The Goat that Ate Tigers: A Folk Tale from West Bengal

A long time ago, a little goat used to live with its mother. They had been leading a fairly peaceful life. The mother goat often warned her daughter against treading beyond the fence. The little goat, however, was born with the heart of an adventurer. She wanted to travel the world and explore new places. Read more…

Gopu and Magan decide to take on a group of bandits hell-bent on robbing them

The Witty Duo of Gopu and Magan: A Folk Tale from Gujarat

Kapila forest had long been a hideout for bandits. However, it was necessary to pass the forest to reach the nearby Rajgadh village. One evening, when Gopu was travelling through the forest, a man leaped out of the bushes, startling Gopu. He claimed to be a porter, who was going towards the village. He insisted Read more…

The Two-Headed Bird is a folk tale from the South Indian state of Karnataka

The Two-Headed Bird: A Folk Tale from Karnataka

Once upon a time, there lived a magical bird with two heads and one body. As bizarre as it might sound, the bird was certainly a sight for sore eyes. Its body was reminiscent of a pitch-black night, and its neck was the embodiment of a color palette. It had a long, yellow beak, one Read more…

The Rich Man and his Vessels, a folk tale from Kerala

The Rich Man and his Vessels: A Folk Tale from Kerala

A long time ago, there lived a rich man in a village in God’s Own State. His house was full of utensils of different shapes and sizes. He had every utensil one could expect to come across in an house as splendid as his. Whenever there was a ceremony in the village, the villagers would Read more…

Daapan and a Stroke of Luck: A Folk Tale from Kashmir

Daapan and a Stroke of Luck: A Folk Tale from Kashmir

Once upon a time, there lived a barber called Daapan in a village in Kashmir. He was as poor as a church mouse. He owned a small shop and barely managed to buy two square meals for his mother and himself. One day, he overheard his customers sharing a story about a beast, who could Read more…