Magical tales from mystical lands

CHENNAI: A family trip to cities with rich history, heritage and architecture, is often replete with stories. Some you remember forever as you retell them to others and some vanish from your memory over time. But for author Cheryl Rao, stories from her trip to the Central European countries left such a mark in her mind and heart that she thought it would be a great book for children.

“When we went to Central Europe a few years ago, we were pleasantly surprised to hear many folk tales, and as we wandered around, admiring town centres, palaces, markets and other sites, we were treated to stories of events that had occurred in each place: some based on actual historical incidents, some heroic, some whimsical — all entertaining,” she shares.

With there being several versions of the stories that were told to her, in Dragons, Mermaids & Ghosts, Cheryl guides readers across countries in ten chapters, reading mythical tales from these fascinating lands.

Unearthing stories 
Cheryl is an avid travellet and she believes the best part of travelling to different places, whether in our country or abroad, is the exposure we get from there and their stories. “There are folk tales and myths and legends everywhere, and while we are not always fortunate enough to get to hear these stories, there are some that have made an impression: a demoness in Bhutan, an erring mother in Meghalaya, an iconic painting in Poland, a cruel ruler in Transylvania,” she notes.

As a reader, for a minute, I forget the popular adage ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. What I thought woould be a book on fictitious, magical stories,in fact gave me an inisight into real stories that are popular in Central European countries. Cheryl explains that while some of these are definitely magical tales, others are rooted in history. “I felt that it would be good to bring these elements together so that readers could connect the past and the present — and whether or not they get a chance to visit those wonderful places where the stories are set, they can experience the thrill of them from the pages in the book,” she adds.

So there is a story of a mermaid helping a king in Warsaw, a story on why the clock tower in Poznan, Poland, has two goats coming out in the noon, the dragon of Wavel Hill and more. Accompanying these stories are illustrations by Kalyani Ganapathy.

While one can never really cover an entire city or town and their stories, as there are probably dozens more from other towns in the same area, Cheryl believes there are stories everywhere you turn. “It is all a matter of listening to them and recollecting them for others to enjoy,” she says. Hence, she advises young travellers to note down the stories they hear.

“There is always a special twist and unique insight that one can get from the local people that one may not get from other sources. That does not imply that children have to compile the stories they hear; it just adds to the thrill when they go through photographs and recall the story and can ‘attach’ an interesting tale to a monument or scene,” she says. As for further folk tales from other places, well, it all depends on where Cheryl goes and what she hears.

Pages: 86  Price: Rs 199 
Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books

CHENNAI: A family trip to cities with rich history, heritage and architecture, is often replete with stories. Some you remember forever as you retell them to others and some vanish from your memory over time. But for author Cheryl Rao, stories from her trip to the Central European countries left such a mark in her mind and heart that she thought it would be a great book for children. “When we went to Central Europe a few years ago, we were pleasantly surprised to hear many folk tales, and as we wandered around, admiring town centres, palaces, markets and other sites, we were treated to stories of events that had occurred in each place: some based on actual historical incidents, some heroic, some whimsical — all entertaining,” she shares. With there being several versions of the stories that were told to her, in Dragons, Mermaids & Ghosts, Cheryl guides readers across countries in ten chapters, reading mythical tales from these fascinating lands. Unearthing stories  Cheryl is an avid travellet and she believes the best part of travelling to different places, whether in our country or abroad, is the exposure we get from there and their stories. “There are folk tales and myths and legends everywhere, and while we are not always fortunate enough to get to hear these stories, there are some that have made an impression: a demoness in Bhutan, an erring mother in Meghalaya, an iconic painting in Poland, a cruel ruler in Transylvania,” she notes. As a reader, for a minute, I forget the popular adage ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. What I thought woould be a book on fictitious, magical stories,in fact gave me an inisight into real stories that are popular in Central European countries. Cheryl explains that while some of these are definitely magical tales, others are rooted in history. “I felt that it would be good to bring these elements together so that readers could connect the past and the present — and whether or not they get a chance to visit those wonderful places where the stories are set, they can experience the thrill of them from the pages in the book,” she adds. So there is a story of a mermaid helping a king in Warsaw, a story on why the clock tower in Poznan, Poland, has two goats coming out in the noon, the dragon of Wavel Hill and more. Accompanying these stories are illustrations by Kalyani Ganapathy. While one can never really cover an entire city or town and their stories, as there are probably dozens more from other towns in the same area, Cheryl believes there are stories everywhere you turn. “It is all a matter of listening to them and recollecting them for others to enjoy,” she says. Hence, she advises young travellers to note down the stories they hear. “There is always a special twist and unique insight that one can get from the local people that one may not get from other sources. That does not imply that children have to compile the stories they hear; it just adds to the thrill when they go through photographs and recall the story and can ‘attach’ an interesting tale to a monument or scene,” she says. As for further folk tales from other places, well, it all depends on where Cheryl goes and what she hears. Pages: 86  Price: Rs 199  Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books