Thus, begins another brilliant collection of essays, stories and poems by writer par excellence, Ruskin Bond. With an abiligy to look at ordinary situations with unique wit and acuity, Ruskin Bond invites us into his home, his countryside, his life. Peopled with monkeys, wild boars, an aunt with a phobia of flowers, an eccentric cousin who thinks he is the great cricket player Ranji, the wise seven-year-old Gautam, this collection is an absorbing read for readers of all ages.