Tales of Fosterganj

by Ruskin Bond

Birds and butterflies recognize no borders.

Borders

Apathy, or lethargy, or a combination of the two, soon casts a spell over everything and the most traumatic events are quickly forgotten.

Apathy, lethargy

Tucked away in a fold of the hills, its inhabitants had begun to resemble their surroundings: one old man resembled a willow bent by rain and wind; an elderly lady with her umbrella reminded me of a colourful mushroom, quite possibly poisonous; my good baker-cum-landlord looked like a bit of the hillside, scarred and uneven but stable. The children were like young grass, coming up all over the place; but the adolescents were like nettles, you never knew if they would sting when touched. There was a young Tibetan lady whose smile was like the blue sky opening up.

People of Hills

When God, the great mathematician, discovered that in making man he had overdone things a bit, he created the bedbug to even things out.

Man and Bed Bugs

The wrong bus or the wrong train can often result in interesting consequences. It’s called the charm of the unexpected.

Wrong is right

The first condition of happiness is that a man must find joy in his work. Unless the work brings joy, the tedium of an aimless life can be soul-destroying.

Men at Work

This was 1961, and border wars, invasions, insurrections and terrorist attacks were all in the future. We were free to travel all over the country without any questions being asked.

Then And Now

Without friends, the world can seem a hostile place.

Friends

The nettles stung me viciously on the hands and face, and I cursed in my best Hindustani. The European languages have their strengths, but for the purposes of cursing out loud you can’t beat some of the Indian languages for range and originality.

Hindustani