The Magical Fish

There was a time when happiness began to leak out of the world. Everything dried up. No colour, no food, no smiles — only hunger, sadness and quarrels. One old dukariya decided that something had to be done, and she heard from the wind about a magical fish that lived in a green-green lake... Gond storyteller Chandrakala has a gift for telling stories, and one of her favourites is about a magical fish that lived in Adhar Talab in Jabalpur. Having worked as a daily labourer building houses and ponds, much of her own strength and determination is reflected in the spirited old woman of this story. Shakunlata too is a Gond, who paints in the style of the Gondi Bhitti Chitra – paintings done by her community on the walls of their homes. The old woman striding across the pages, the dry landscape of an unhappy world, the lush valley and jewel-like lake, and the stunning fish with its beautifully patterned body create a world of magic and beauty on every page.