Notes

Cover subtitle: Stories from India

Contents include: Book one: A dollop of ghee and a pot of wisdom. Prince Veera's first case ; Who stole the Laddus? ; The case of the greedy moneylender ; The unfortunate case

-- Book two: A jar of pickles and a pinch of justice. All's well with mango pickles ; Freezing lakes and missing crows ; What's fair? ; Grey elephants and five fools

Summary: Being a wise and just ruler is no easy task. That's what Prince Veera discovers when he and his best friend, Suku, are given the opportunity to preside over the court of his father, King Bheema. Some of the subjects' complaints are easily addressed, but others are much more challenging. How should they handle the case of the greedy merchant who wishes to charge people for enjoying the smells of his sweets? And can they prove that an innocent man cannot possibly spread bad luck? Will Prince Veera and Suku be able to settle the dispute between a man and his neighbor to whom he sells a well - but not the water in it? Or solve the mystery of the jewels that have turned into pickles? Illustrated throughout by Uma Krishnaswamy, these eight original tales by Chitra Soundar task Veera and Suku with outwitting the kingdom's greediest, wiliest subjects. Are the two clever boys up to the challenge? Can Prince Veera and his best friend outsmart the king's trickiest subjects? Inspired by traditional Indian folktales, these stories are sure to delight. (Book cover)