What happens when a crocodile marries a village girl? How does a white elephant rescue a hunter? What is the outcome of a contest between a mosquito and a lion? Who is the oldest among the three—the quail, the elephant or the monkey? Who is the rabbit in the moon? Here are twelve endearing tales of adventure and friendship between animals and humans. Quirky, comical and wise, these stories have enthralled adults and children alike throughout India and have been passed down generations in the form of oral narratives. Collected by Geeta Ramanujam from storytellers all over South India as well as the Panchatantra and the Jataka Tales, The Wise Monkey and Other Animal Stories will not only amuse and entertain children but also fire their imagiantion. Ajanta Guhathakurta’s delightful colour illustrations create a distinct atmosphere for each story and make the jungle come alive.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Geeta Ramanujam
Geeta Ramanujam is an academician and a storyteller in Bangalore. She has been a teacher and librarian at the Krishnamurti Foundation School, Bangalore and the Sri Aurobindo Memorial School for twenty years. She has also worked as a freelance journalist for ten years. In 1998, she founded an organization called Kathalaya: The House of Stories, to revive the ancient art of storytelling and to use it in schools as a cultural tool in education. She has travelled abroad with her workshops on storytelling. Since then, she has established storytelling as part of the curriculum in over ten schools in Bangalore and Madurai and has won many awards for her contributions towards child welfare and education. A part of the proceeds of this book will go towards making learning an enjoyable experience for children through storytelling, a motto Kathalaya abides by.
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