The Owl Delivered the Good News All Night Long

Book excerpt: From Jammu and Kashmir in the north to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the south, from Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east, and all the other states and union territories of India in between, here are 108 fabulous folk tales, legends, and stories from more than fifty-seven languages and dialects. You will delight in wondrous tales of heroes and heroines, of ordinary men and women, of wicked mothers-in-law and foolish sons-in-law, of love lost and won, of a tree who loved a girl, of seers and wise men, of chudails, werewolves, and wizards, of a potter girl and the divine cow, of demoiselle cranes and humans transforming into elephants, of how the woodpecker got its crest, and much, much more. Startlingly original, brilliant, wise, and often funny, these stories will delight readers of all ages. The Owl Delivered the Good News All Night Long is a one-of-a-kind anthology that weaves together celebrated folk tales and legends with modern lore and true stories. With a remarkable range of languages, dialects, and communities represented, this anthology is a delightful mix of folklore passed down the generations and exceptional stories of ordinary people recorded for the first time. The anthology has been meticulously compiled by visual anthropologist and author, Lopamudra Maitra Bajpai, who was recently deputed as the Culture Specialist (Research) at the SAARC Cultural Centre.