We live in a world of stories and fables, and these stories travel—not just geographically but also temporally. They change, evolve and sometimes vanish. These stories feature many things including our biggest companions on this planet, i.e., animals. Humans always find a way to stay close to nature. Now be it through keeping a plant in our house, watering it every day and watching it grow, or be it keeping water and food for the birds on a hot summer day. Our ways of staying connected with nature also reflect its importance in our lives. As a result, our nature enters the world of our stories. And the Panchatantra is a product of that process.
The Panchatantra is a collection of five books of animal fables and magical tales collected in their current form between the third and fifth centuries AD. The German-Sanskrit historian Johannes Hertel (1872-1955) asserted that the original collection was compiled in Kashmir around 200 BCE, when many of the stories were already ancient. We come across many adaptations and translations of the Panchatantra. Meena Arora Nayak’s recent works are two such examples.
The Four Avengers versus the Elephant and The Rabbit in the Moon are two books consisting of two tales each retold by Meena Arora Nayak and illustrated by Apoorva Lalit. Retelling of some of the most important fables of the Indian subcontinent is a very important task in itself; and Nayak does a wonderful job at that.
The first book, The Four Avengers versus the Elephant, consists of ‘The Tale of the Dimwit Lion and the Wise Hare’ and ‘The Tale of How the Sparrow, Woodpecker, Bee and Frog Teamed Up to Kill the Elephant’. The first story, a classic and one of the most popular fables of the Panchatantra, is of a forest with a Lion king (Mandamati) who goes around slaughtering animals to satisfy his hunger. This continues until a smart Hare comes up with a solution to get rid of the king altogether. The second one, on the other hand, includes many characters such as the Sparrow couple, Woodpecker, Bee, Frog and a wild Elephant. While the emphasis on teamwork is central to the tale, the name of the tale is quite a mouthful. A title is the first element that draws a reader’s attention, and it works best when it preserves the intrigue of the narrative rather than revealing it. In this case, however, the title somewhat describes the whole narrative. This is true for other titles as well in the second book.
Among the many translations and adaptations of the Panchatantra, this one stands out for its simplicity. The smooth, easy language creates a natural flow between prose and verse, making the stories enjoyable for both young readers and adults. Nayak’s use of simple language is an important step in keeping the essence of the tales while making the book an accessible read.
The former is a story of a Louse who lives comfortably in the bed of a King (of a wealthy kingdom) until a Bedbug decides to find shelter in the same bed. The Bedbug’s impatience eventually leads to the death of the Louse. The latter story includes a herd of elephants suffering from water scarcity because of the drought in their region. They eventually find a lake full of water, but it is also a home to many rabbits. Inadvertently, the Elephants kill many Rabbits. Until the Rabbits figure out a way to get rid of the Elephants.
The two tales focus on the lives of many different kinds of creatures. The first tale’s distinct feature is the lives of parasitic insects, i.e., the Louse and the Bedbug. These creatures exist in our worlds, but they rarely exist in our stories. However, an ancient collection of animal fables did not forget about them, and neither did the author when she selected this specific tale for the book.
Fables are almost always centered around messages and morals. Personally, I do not usually look for the ‘lesson’ in a story, nor do I need it spelled out. But with the Panchatantra, morals are an inseparable part of the reading experience. The readers are expected to learn something from these tales. But it is the writer’s job to ensure that it is subtle and fitting in the narrative, and Nayak has done a terrific job.
Apoorva Lalit’s illustrations accompany the tales. These illustrations build the narrative in pictorial form. However, the absence of colours in the illustrations can be experienced by the reader. Colour naturally brings vibrance and visual appeal. It also carries emotional and psychological weight, so removing it limits the ability to create mood or atmosphere. There is potential to refine the illustrations for greater impact.
These two books make for an engaging read across generations. After all, it is the Panchatantra presented in a form that is engaging and approachable for contemporary readers. Through Meera Arora Nayak’s retelling, these age-old fables gain a fresh voice, making them enjoyable for young and adult audiences alike while preserving the depth that has made the Panchatantra enduring across generations.