On a rough July evening, with a calf’s cry in the air, Thunder roared as dark clouds soared, shadows everywhere. Night fell, dark and pitch black, in the woods so deep, The cowherd and the calf, lost, could only weep. They searched and searched, but found no light, Till a firefly glowed warmly in the …
Tales from Gond Communtiy: The Night of the Glowing Sembar Read More »
This story about a mother crab and her children is retold often from generation to generation among the Lotha people. A family of crabs lived on the riverbed, soaking in the sun on a day when the sun was at its sunniest of moods. These crustaceans may have seemed the quietest but were known to …
Tales from Nagaland: The Crab’s Sideways-tilted walk Read More »
Illustration: Amrapali Das Source: Folktales of India, Collected by K.Jacob, edited by P.C. Roy Chowdhury
Illustration: Amrapali Das Source: Tribal folktales from Orissa, Academy of Tribal Languages & Cultures, Bhubaneshwar
Source: Greatest Folktales of Bihar by Nalin Verma published by Rupa India Illustration: Amrapali Das
THERE ONCE LIVED a farmer and a barber who were very good friends. One day it became time for both of them to marry. It was customary in this area to go through a betrothal ceremony. Afterwards the prospective bridegroom would pay a special visit to his fiancée’s home. When both weddings had been arranged, …
Tales from Uttar Pradesh: The Farmer and the Barber Read More »
A mosquito dressed up in her bangles, her finest silk sari and a long braid, and went around looking for a husband. She searched everywhere, until a young bull asked her, “Hey, sweetie! Where are you going?” “I’m looking for a good husband, that’s what.” “Why not marry me?” “What can you do?” asked the …
Illustration: Amrapali Das Source: Lakshminath Bezbarua Book of short stories
Illustration by Amrapali Das
Long ago a Gond leader was taking a stroll in the countryside. He was looking for something exquisite that would amuse his guests and make him an ideal host. After a hard day’s walk, he found a pleasant place to sit, under a Mahua tree. As he went closer to the tree, he saw a pit filled …
Subscribe to our weekly blogposts and never miss the latest content.
