Set in the Tung valley, where Shiva resides in his highest
abode, Tunganath Temple, this book narrates the story of a boy Jai, his dog
Motu, and a few of his people, and their courageous attempts at saving their
herd of sheep from the evil claws of a golden eagle and his mate. I always
wonder about and admire rural hill people, how they work hard in unfavorable
conditions to make their living, accept the wrath of nature, and always remain
hopeful and happy. They've to adapt themselves to the changing climate and they
keep on moving from lower hills to upper hills in the summertime and back to
lower hills in the wintertime. Their sheep and goats are their way of
livelihood. In the summertime, few people, who can't do farming on terraced
fields, or any other chores to be done back at home, take their sheep and move
to higher hills where sheep are likely to get plenty of good and healthy grass.
For this, they have to bear harsh climatic and high-altitude conditions, and
they make their temporary homes in these hills for a few months. And back home,
their other housemates take care of chores and activities for a better
livelihood that can be done at lower altitudes only. So, it's a kind of
tradition and compulsion for these families to be away from each other during
the months of summer.
Here, Jai, a school-going boy, accompanies his old grandparents
and a pet dog Motu, with their small herd of sheep and lambs to the
high-altitude valley of Tung, so that their sheep can have good food during the
months of summer when lower altitude is devoid of good grass due to heat in the
environment. And how Jai, a lover of stories, and his pet Motu, a clumsy,
large, bear-like, and lovable dog, save their sheep from the golden eagle.
This story is written for children, but I bet people from every
age group, who love reading stories, will enjoy this. The way Ruskin Bond has
described the golden eagle, its eyes, its wings, its terrible talons, and the
grace with which it maintains fear above the sun-soaked hills, is admirable.
It's a very short and sweet story, including lots of lovely
illustrations. A must-read book for those children who have just developed an
interest in reading, and also for those who love short stories, and for those
who love Ruskin Bond.
-Ekta Kubba
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