The Best of Tenida

Book excerpt: The humorous escapades of Narayan Gangopadhyay’s immortal character and his ragtag bunch of friends, now in English The leader of a gang of four, Tenida is a brash, loud-mouthed fellow with a large heart and a gargantuan appetite. Along with the quick-witted Kyabla, the Bangladeshi-accented Habul and the cowardly Pela, Tenida falls headlong into one misadventure after the other, that is, when he is not telling tall tales of his own heroism. Full of wit and old-world charm, The Best of Tenida is dotted with vignettes of life in yesteryear Calcutta. Featuring five of Narayan Gangopadhyay’s best-known short stories and his timeless novella Charmurti, this English translation introduces one of the most beloved figures in Bengali children’s literature to a wider audience.