‘The sun is a lizard and the earth is an egg’: A new book of fables by Suniti Namjoshi

The Mouse and the Lion

One day, a lion caught a mouse. “Spare me,” said the mouse, “I am so little and you are so big; but, who knows, perhaps some day I will be able to do you a favour.” The lion thought this funny and let the mouse go. But a few days later the very same lion was caught in a net. After a while the mouse came along. “Help,” called the lion, “Help, little mouse. Chew through these ropes. Remember, after all, that you owe me a favour.” The mouse started chewing and then suddenly stopped. “Why have you stopped?” roared the lion. “Well, I just thought of something,” said the little mouse, “You see, I think I have already done you a favour.” “You haven’t,” roared the lion. “Yes, I have,” said the mouse. “What?” roared the lion. “Well, you see,” said the mouse, “I haven’t killed you.”

Swayamvara

Once upon a time, there was a little princess who was good at whistling. “Don’t whistle,” said her mother. “Don’t whistle,” said her father, but the child was good at it and went on whistling. Years went by, and she became a woman. By this time she whistled beautifully. Her parents...

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