My Favourite Stories

There was once a king who had three stupid sons. A learned man visited the kingdom and offered to teach the boys the true qualities of kings-kindness, bravery and a sense of justice. He narrated them one story a day, and these became known as the well-loved Panchatantra tales. Gulzar turns these stories into story-poems, to be read aloud or enjoyed alone. He describes how a rabbit outwits a hungry lion, and tells us why a girl married a mouse. There is a story about a mosquito who was an unwelcome guest, and one about the foolish donkey who could not stop singing. Hilarious and wise, naughty and clever, this retelling of the Panchatantra by one of India's most loved writers will be treasured by readers of all ages.