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.