Isha and the Hedgerow-Folk

By Malvika Dekhane

This is the story of a girl Isha aged eleven and the hedgerow-folk - the little free-beings like mongoose, rats, hedgehogs and little birds living in and around the hedgerows. The story revolves around their problems, how they face them and solve them together. It also stresses the importance of family, family-values and love for Nature.
Isha’s happy family comprises her parents Mihir and Rajeshwari, baby brother Neil and granny Indi. While returning from a vacation their car meets with an accident. Several mishaps follow. These include Rajeshwari going into coma; Indi suddenly slipping into deep sleep; an attempt on Isha’s life; kidnapping of Neil, to mention a few. A foul play is suspected. Who is behind all this? A very disturbed Isha meets the hedgerow-folks and befriends them. They unite to investigate.
The situation worsens when the villains want to oust the family from their house. The villains also want to remove the hedgerow and make the hedgerow-folk homeless. How do Isha & the hedgerow-folk deal with the grim situation?
Hedgerows are part of Earth’s lungs. They are an important habitat. They should be preserved.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: May 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781543708516

Malvika Dekhane

Malvika Dekhane has authored more than 40 books for children. She has won several prestigious awards. She writes on variety of topics including science, adventure, environment, with the main aim of entertaining and enriching, imparting knowledge, imbibing positive values and inspiring change. Some books converted in Braille and audio books.

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Copyright © 2022 by Malvika Dekhane.

Illustrations by- Bhau Dandade [phone]

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Rev. date: 05/09/2022

First Edition

www.partridgepublishing.com/india

CONTENTS

1. A mini-vacation and the accident

2. The Gory Accident

3. A shocking discovery

4. The Cozy Nest and new friends

5. Something fishy going on!

6. The Hedgerow-folk

7. Janglu Briefs Isha about the Garden Folks

8. The Tip-Off and a Brain Wave

9. Good News and Bad News

10. The Mishap

11. The Hedgerow-folk to the Rescue

12. Polly does some more sleuthing

13. The Search Party

14. Squeaky learns a lesson

15. Shocking discovery and a discussion

16. The Midnight Hunt

17. The Reunion

18. Checkmate

19. All is well!

20. Tete-a-tete

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I remember the days when compound-walls were live, green hedges teeming with life!

I remember the large garden in front of our apartment. It was enclosed in a 5 to 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide hedgerow of Clerodendron or Clerodendrum, Lantana and Bougainvillea. We had a nice time playing hide and seek; hiding and running around the hedgerows. The gardener used to shape the hedgerow into geometrical and animal shapes. I saw my first chameleon in the hedgerow. I spotted a sparrow’s nest in the hedgerow. I spotted mice-burrows in the ground beneath the hedgerow. Sometimes I saw a mongoose dart from the hedgerow. It was so thrilling! My love for Nature took roots here.

We had fun sucking nectar from the white flowers of Clerodendron. The black, ripe lantana berries tasted sweet and yummy. The bougainvillea with its colourful bracts looked very attractive. The butterflies hid in the hedgerow and flew when we accidently bumped against it. It was such a wonderful sight! We watched in awe when occasionally a mongoose-mom and her babies scurried in a line. The hedgerows were their home, their safe haven.

It was not very long ago that every bungalow, every house, every building was surrounded by a hedgerow. Plants like Clerodendron, Lantana, and Briar rose, Sea buckthorn, Canna, Bougainvillea and many others made up a strong living barrier, a tough wall! If you looked really hard and with true interest, you could easily see that this wall teemed with many creatures big and small. You could see insects, birds, rodents even snakes calling this two feet thick green wall their home. It was the place where they were born & nurtured. A place where they grew up, lived, bred & died. The saga continued.

Sadly, the hedgerows are fast being replaced with solid brick walls. Walls don’t need trimming and watering. So, they are easy to maintain. What happens when a hedgerow is pulled down and replaced with a brick wall? Well, walls don’t support life. With their habitat destroyed, the animals become homeless! Many perish as they can’t find alternative habitat or can’t adjust. This is really sad. But seriously, very few are aware of this. Do we even care about their plight? Well, some of us do. But, all of us must care. We can retain the hedgerows and re-establish them. They are cool, green, beautiful and they are home to many species.

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1

A MINI-VACATION

AND THE ACCIDENT

Hurry-up Isha! Holiday time is up! We are waiting for you dear! Rajeshwari and Mihir Prajapati, Isha’s parents called in unison. Hully Isha! Neil, Isha’s two-year-old kid brother mimicked. Rajeshwari and Mihir laughed heartily. Mihir’s mother-Indira, Indi to everybody, also joined in. The driver Raju too smiled in good humour. He loved this family. Neil clapped and repeated Hully Isha and began to giggle. Within a few minutes, Isha, aged eleven, came running to the car. She was dressed in jeans and tee shirt. It suited her tomboy personality. Her almond-shaped face sported a smiley. Her nose was on the sharp side. Her eyes were deep brown-black, big and impish. Her lips were rosy red. Her shoulder length hair was tied in a pony. She seemed and was a happy and bubbly child. She halted and looked at her mother expectantly. She had a white kitten in her hands. She stroked it lovingly and said, Oh, mother dear! Can we carry Tinkle with us? He is so cute! As cute as a button! Oh, please mother, please say yes.

Yes, but next time dear! Tinkle is very small and needs his mother, Rajeshwari tried to convince her.

But Ma, he looks so comfortable and happy.

Isha, what if you were Tinkle? Would you like to be without your mother?

I never thought of that. But then we can never have him. Isha was almost in tears.

Don’t be sad dear. It is different with cats. After growing up, they live all by themselves. Don’t worry; we are coming back for a proper summer vacation in the next month. May be that time you can carry Tinkle with you. OK?

OK mom! As you say! Isha perked up, nodded and ran back to unite Tinkle with his mother. Tinkle promptly cuddled-up to his mother who reacted by purring gently. She meant, Thank you Isha for returning baby Tinkle. He is too small to be taken away.

Isha ran to the car and climbed in. Raju shut the door. He rechecked the doors and then occupied the driver’s seat. Isha waved goodbye to the housekeeping staff. Fasten your seatbelts! Mihir declared, We are comfortable Raju. Let the journey begin, The wheels began to roll.

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Stop! Raju, please stop! Isha said excitedly, Oh Baba (father)! Can I run down the slope and meet you at the bottom of the hillock? Please, Baba, please! Isha pleaded.

No dear, you are too small for this type of adventure, Mihir replied,