Tales from a Faraway Land: Indian Children's Stories

By Priya Da and Seba DasSarma

My homeland is India, far, far away from where I live today. I raised my children here and I really wanted to have them hear some of the stories that my mother and grandmother used to tell when I was a little girl. We have tried to give a glimpse into the world of stories from where I was born and brought up - stories of castles, long journeys, brave heroes and heroines, stories from the great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, tales of great and learned Indians as well as fables and family tales. We felt that there was a need to preserve and share these tales from a faraway country with generations to come and hope that many readers and listeners may get a flavor of India and will be transported into that world through their imagination.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 27, 2006
• ISBN: 9781477171868

Priya Da

About the author Seba DasSarma, grandmother of four beautiful grandchildren, started work on this book a long time ago, wanting to share her stories with her children. She lives with her husband in West Virginia. She enjoys telling about her native India and her childhood there. About the Illustrator Priya DasSarma, mother of two sweet little ones, lives with her husband and children in Maryland. She found many of these stories in the form of letters written to her husband by his mother and felt a need to preserve and share the tales. She typed up the stories and edited them with the help of the whole family. This is the first book she has illustrated. She has always enjoyed reading and listening to tales from India.

Book preview

Copyright © 2006 by Seba DasSarma & Priya DasSarma.

27275-DASS

Library of Congress Control Number: 2004099877

ISBN 10: Softcover 1-4134-7925-1

Hardcover 1-4134-7926-X

ISBN 13: Softcover 978-1-413479-25-6

Hardcover 978-1-413479-26-3

ebook 978-1-4771-7186-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may

be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by

any means, electronic or mechanical, including

photocopying, recording, or by any information

storage and retrieval system, without permission

in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places

and incidents either are the product of the author’s

imagination or are used fictitiously, and any

resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead,

events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

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1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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Preface

Storytelling is an art developed in simpler times. It was a common form of entertainment for children when I was growing up in India. In those days, we were frequently entertained while listening to a story engagingly told. I hope this collection of stories will offer the opportunity for entertainment to today’s children as well.

Most of the stories in this book were written for my children. As they

grew up abroad, they developed interest in Indian culture, customs, religion, and philosophy. I decided to share the wisdom and tales of our homeland with them in the form of stories. Later, I started writing more stories for my grandchildren. They enjoyed reading and listening to stories very much, and in this way, I could share with them the cultural experiences, morals and values that I grew up with.

The stories I have collected here are from Indian epics, fables, and children’s tales. I can recall some of the stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata narrated by my own mother and grandmother. I hope children of all ages will enjoy this book and that it will expand the horizon of their imagination.

Seba DasSarma

February 14, 2006

Table of Contents

1. The Silent Palace

2. Shiva, Parvati, and the Brahmin

3. Eclipse.

4. Ratnakar.

5. Valmiki

6. The Golden Deer

7. The Story of Sita

8. Agasta

9. The Sun, the Moon, and the Jealous Mountain

10. Kaberi

11. The Artists

12. The Ghost with the Long Arm

13. Byopdeb

14. Buddhadeb.

27275-DASS-PBint.pdf

The

Silent

Palace

27275-DASS-PBint.pdf27275-DASS-PBint.pdf

Once upon a time, in the vast and beautiful country of India, there lived a raja (king) with his rani (queen) and prince. This prince grew up to be a very handsome, strong, and brave young man. He knew that one day he would inherit the kingdom and all the responsibilities that came with it. But, he had spent his whole life sheltered in the castle and its surroundings, and knew little of the world beyond it. To get the wisdom to be king someday, the prince, with the blessings of the raja and rani, decided to explore the kingdom. The raja gave him a fine horse to ride and a sword for his protection. He advised the prince to be strong and valiant and to meet the challenges he would face with strength and forethought and to protect and assist those in need. His mother told him to be careful, always be alert, and follow his heart while exploring the kingdom. So the prince thanked the raja and rani and set off on his way. He traveled far and wide, explored forests, climbed mountains, heard many languages, tasted many different foods, visited many different cities, towns, and villages, and met