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Munshi Premchand needs no introduction. In this collection, twelve stories from his oeuvre, carefully adapted and specially illustrated keeping young readers in mind, offer a vivid glimpse of life in the villages and small towns of north India.
Each story is unique in its own way. ‘The Road to Salvation’ traces the theme of revenge and human folly, while ‘January Night’ is as much about the plight of Halku, a poor farmer at the mercy of the local landowner, as it is about the bond he shares with his dog Jabra. ‘A Catastrophe’ narrates the suffering of an old, destitute widow, and shows that bad deeds never go unpunished. ‘Penalty’ is a surprisingly short story about finding kindness and sympathy in a cruel world. ‘A Lesson in the Holy Life’ varies the tone of the volume with its humorous dig at fake saintliness. ‘Festival of Eid’ celebrates young Hamid’s act of love and sacrifice over the childish self-centredness of his friends.
The self-appointed arbiter of correct social behaviour in ‘A Car-Splashing’ makes ‘good’ his escape in the end before himself coming to be judged. ‘The Story of Two Bullocks’ is a moving account of the close companionship shared between man and animal. ‘The Thakur’s Well’ exposes the cruelty of a caste-ridden society.
‘My Big Brother’ is a tender yet comic story about the changing relationship between two brothers. ‘The Naïve Friends’ looks at the misadventures of Keshav and Shyama as they go about trying to safeguard the eggs of a bird which has made a nest in their house. And finally, ‘The Power of a Curse’ is a dramatic tale of human deception, wrongdoing and its effects, and fear of divine retribution.
The simplicity of these stories of everyday life and the accompanying visuals will delight young readers and Premchand fans alike.
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