A commendable poet and also a notable novelist, Rudyard Kipling stands out superbly as a writer of short stories. It was definitely in the short stories that he exercised his talents to the fullest. He has given some short stories that transcend time and place. Diverse experiences in life and his visits to different places account for the diversity of theme, plot and character in his stories for adults. The present selection includes some remarkable short stories of Rudyard Kipling. The Man Who Would Be King deals with the theme of man’s search for a place of authority in society. The Limitations of Pambe’ Serang is a story of revengeful killing. The Maltese Cat is the tale of a Polo Pony of that name; it is one of those animal stories which Kipling is better known for. In the House of Suddhoo represents a typically Indian experience. Beyond the Pale is the story of a young widow seeking to gratify her bodily thirst in an unconventional manner. A bank fraud tells the tale of a very different kind of bank fraud that has a benevolent effect. Little Tobrah is the story of a small boy who pushes his blind sister into the well because ‘it is better to die than starve’. Moti Guj – Mutineer is the tale of indelible bonds between an elephant and his driver master. In by Word of Mouth, a dead woman foretells the death of her husband. ‘Wireless’ and ‘They’ are fantastic tales bordering on supernatural. Set in diverse locations, these stories represent Kipling at his best.
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