Author: Alice Elizabeth Dracott Paperback: 146 pages Language: English ISBN:  9788177691184 Size: 0.4 x 5.3 x 8.3 inches Pages: 146 Back of the Book: One cannot sojourn for long in the East without hearing strange stories, all of which are vouched for by the natives. Most would make one's blood run cold, but they are irresistibly fascinating. Filled with pathos but almost always showing that every cloud has its silver lining, these tales carry the reader into the mythical past that was India. The majority of these tales have the raw transparency of folk art, whilst others are fashioned with uncommon sophistication. Many of the stories have been passed down by word of mouth. Long before the radio and television ever existed, people spent hours around fires telling stories for entertainment. First published in 1906, Simla Village Tales captivates and preserves some of the old folk tales of a long gone era. This new version of these same stories will show that little of their underlying meaning and significance has changed. Preface In introducing "Simla Village Tales" to my readers, I wish to acknowledge gratefully the valuable assistance given me by my sister Mabel Baldwin. When I was obliged to leave India suddenly owing to a nervous breakdown after the terrible earthquake which visited the Punjab in April 1905, she kindly undertook to complete, from the same sources, my collection of folktales. Twenty excellent stories contributed by her include "Tabaristan," "The Barber and the Thief," "The Fourth Wife is the Wisest," and "Abul Hussain." Of the down-country tales, my husband kindly contributed "Anar Pari," "The Dog Temple," "The Beautiful Milkmaid," and "The Enchanted Bird, Music and Stream." Both my sister and my husband can speak the language fluently and as the former has resided many years in the Punjab.