Letter Writing Guide

Monthly Archives: June 2012

Write, Edit and Proofread Your Own Documents Effectively

Every one of us finds it necessary to interact with others through text based communication all the time in the daily routine of our fast paced lives. Fortunately, almost all of us can comfortably communicate by means of SMS, chat, email and printed letters too. These forms of communication do not pose any significant challenges to any of us because we possess a ‘reasonable’ degree of literacy and writing aptitude that is adequate for such purposes.

It can prove to be an altogether different proposition though when communication requires the composition of a serious written document that has to be presented in a formal style. When such a need arises, many otherwise capable persons may discover that they are not quite able to grapple with this task. After all, not every person can express himself with sufficient eloquence when complicated descriptions, abstract concepts and novel ideas need to be committed to paper or an electronic medium in such a way as to convey the information clearly and in an attention grabbing manner to the intended readership.

If you believe you belong to this category, think again! It is quite possible to make a dramatic improvement to your own writing by observing certain basic rules of composition, and then following it up with some editing and proofreading work, in accordance with the guidelines suggested here. By adhering to these simple rules, which should not prove too difficult to the majority of English speakers, you will be able to create effective written documents that measure up to acceptable literary standards. Only in the case of certain specialized or highly technical documents would you need to seek the services of a professional editor.

The first thing you need to get right is the sequence in which you are going to present all of the information that you wish to convey to the reader. In order to facilitate a ready understanding and grasp of the subject matter on the reader’s part, you must arrange the snippets of information so that they all follow in a logical order. When imparting information, you should take particular care not to do anything in the nature of putting the horse before the cart. It is common practice to present matters in a chronological sequence but it may be quite appropriate to depart from this approach if you are convinced that the subject matter could be treated with greater clarity by arranging the information in some other order. Also, make it a point to present only the pertinent information and leave out what is irrelevant.

The next thing you should pay attention to is the sentence structure. If you are not an expert writer, the best way to approach this task is to start writing about the subject using short, simple sentences, while observing the correct order of presentation rigorously. Complete the whole document in this manner and then read it through. It will probably look like it has been penned by a Grade 5 student, but do not be discouraged by this. Now start combining the short sentences into longer sentences by joining together those that relate to the same point or idea. Once you begin doing this, each of the short sentences, which sounded so insipid when read in isolation, becomes more interesting and the writing begins to acquire some character and style. How much of these qualities you can add will depend on the skill with which you weave the words together. Fortunately, this is a skill that can be developed with practice.

Now, exactly how do you set about joining the short sentences together? One way to accomplish this is by using the words listed below:

and, but, because, since, for, or, nor, so, yet

You can also use commas and semicolons with or without the use of additional words like those given below to join short sentences together to build up complex sentences:

therefore, furthermore, in addition, in fact, moreover, however, then, after, nevertheless, though, although, lest, unless, until, while, notwithstanding, despite, consequently

The object of making sentences longer is not to impress people but for the simple reason that complex sentences can usually convey the writer’s meaning more effectively and elegantly. Try writing out each complex sentence in two or three different ways by re-ordering the words, and you will likely hit upon an arrangement that expresses the idea clearly and neatly.

Then you need to focus on the grammar, spelling, capitalization and punctuation. It will take you only 3 or 4 days to brush up on your grammar by visiting and picking up many useful hints and tips from those websites devoted to this topic. It is quicker and easier than trying to learn from textbooks where you would have to wade through a lot of stuff and spend much time separating the wheat from the chaff. After you have taken the trouble to brush up your grammar a bit, you could also get some help from the grammar checker of your word processor. But be cautious, as the corrections suggested by this feature can be frequently misleading! If you make any such corrections, just read out the sentence aloud and check to see if it sounds alright. Use your own version if that sounds better.

The spell checker on the word processor is far more reliable and you can count on same to almost always advise you correctly. Just make sure to set the spelling to US or British English according to your preference and pay attention to all those squiggly lines that appear under words. If in doubt, check using another online dictionary or a printed tome. The capitalization is not all that straightforward but this should not generally pose any problems. Remember that all proper nouns start off with an uppercase letter, except sometimes when they have become common words as in, pasteurize, italics, chinaware, french fries and so on. Ceylon tea, Persian rug, Russian roulette and Siamese fighter are usually spelt with uppercase letters, but do not worry too much about finer points like these. The rules that govern capitalization are not very strict. For instance, ‘Mongolism’ is written as ‘mongolism’ by half the writers.

Punctuation however, does require greater care as it could sometimes amount to a matter of life or death. For example, “Kill him, not spare him” has a startlingly different meaning from, “Kill him not, spare him”. In these cases, simply use common sense. It helps to read out a sentence aloud when you are trying to get the punctuation right. Here, keep in mind that when we read out a sentence aloud, we tend to pause at certain places, but this pause does not necessarily imply there is a comma at that place. Usually there is, but not invariably so.

When writing, it is important to pay attention to the subject / verb agreement. The basic rule requires that a singular subject be paired to a singular verb, while a plural subject is paired to a plural verb. For example, we should say, ‘He rings the bell’ and ‘they ring the bell’. Here, the noun ‘He’ and the verb ‘rings’ are singular, and the noun ‘they’ and the verb ‘ring’ are plural. The exceptions to this general rule are the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘you’, which are treated as plural words, so we must write, ‘I will ring the bell’ and ‘you will ring the bell’ even when ‘you’ refers to just one person.

It does not require any special training to recognize other common faults such as ambiguity, repetition, wordiness and triteness. Be on your guard against the intrusion of shortcomings like these that are bound to detract from the quality of your writing. You can then be sure that you are on your way to producing a convincing document that will achieve its purpose. There are many other rules governing correct English usage, such as avoiding any improper use of the passive voice and things like split infinitives, dangling modifiers and so on but you can learn about these after gaining some practice on the more basic rules discussed here.

Read through what you have written with a thesaurus by your side. Try to substitute a more suitable word or phrase whenever you come across a spot where the wording does not sound quite right. Edit and re-edit your work. The whole exercise will of course take much time at the beginning, but as you gain practice you will discover that you are able to work at a faster pace. Remember, a smooth flow of words will have greater appeal to the reader.

When you are satisfied with your final draft you must perform another important operation, that of proofreading. Strictly speaking, proofreading must be done by another person. Either way, it can be performed more reliably with printed output than on your computer monitor. Errors and typos that were not noticeable on the screen will jump at you when you read the final laser printout on the company letterhead! Therefore, print a draft quality copy on plain paper and scrutinize it carefully before mailing or distributing the document.

The final step in the document processing exercise is the formatting. Good formatting can enhance the impact of any document and so you will have to pay attention to such matters as the choice of typeface, font size, line spacing, margins and the use of bullets etc. The pages of the document should have a balanced look and a pleasing appearance to create a good overall impression.

Incidentally, it is advisable for anyone involved in editing work to familiarize himself with the ‘Track Changes’ feature of the MS Word application. This useful feature is accessible under the Review tab at the top of the window. Clicking on ‘Track Changes’ enables one to keep track of all editing changes to the document, such as insertions, deletions and formatting changes. Any text that is added is shown in color font while deleted text is displayed in strikethrough font. Thus, editing changes can be readily spotted. It is also possible for an editor to add useful comments in an adjacent column. The editing changes that get recorded should be retained in the original file for reference. These revisions should be embodied in the final copy too but all telltale signs of editing should be removed and the file saved under a different name.

Witchcraft In Fiction – Any Limits Or None?

WHY BOTHER?

Does witchcraft work? Does it matter? For many centuries, story books have been populated by Giants, Monsters, Ghosts, Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves and all the rest. Why ask the question now? What value would any answer have?

In writing books that include witchcraft I have wondered when the acts of my witchdoctor heroine were just credible and when they wee ridiculous. Speculating may help me, and possibly others, in writing about ‘things unseen’ and extraordinary events.

THE KALILOZI GUN

The spark that ignited my interest was a real world event. In 1957 there was an outbreak of witchcraft in Barotseland – now part of Zambia, but then Northern Rhodesia. It was written up by an anthropologist named Barrie Reynolds. I witnessed one trial, which centred on the use of a Kalilozi Gun. This was an inefficient firearm constructed by witchdoctors as an improvement on the old-fashion pointed stick, powered by magic and spells (which were still included in the action). The trial was all about uncertainty. Was the wound inflicted sufficient to cause death? Was death due to practical violence or to witchcraft? Does witchcraft work?

WITCHCRAFT EXISTS

Witchcraft as an abstract force certainly exists. It exists because of belief. There are many countries where people carry out rituals aimed at harming others, and where others believe that dangerous action has been taken against them. Offensive acts and defensive actions are taken. The effect may be psychological but the actions are real. They have an observable effect.

Is it only a matter of psychology and belief? Or is there some other force that is neither seen nor understood? In medieval times radio waves were in that category. Does some sort of thought wave exist? Is it understood by everybody, or only a few? If an early Christian missionary took a photograph of an African villager, this was witchcraft to the one but not to the other. So, in order to qualify, the force must be both unseen and not understood by anybody, anywhere. Is there any reason to postulate such a force – apart from Hamlet to Horatio – “there are more things in heaven and earth, etc?” Yes, there is.

  1. Poltergeist activity is sufficiently documented to show that mental activity can affect physical objects. There has to be some force at work.
  2. Hypnotism allows a therapist to give instructions to a willing subject while he is unconscious. On waking, he will carry out those instructions. This is non-physical manipulation of actions.
  3. There are states of mind in which the world is perceived in an ‘unreal’ manner. The most common examples are dreams and drugs. They contain images and ideas of which we are not normally aware. These are a new input to our thinking. The poet Coleridge used drugs at times and says, “A damsel with a dulcimer in a vision once I saw.” She was playing and singing, but when Coleridge came out of his trance he could not remember the song. At other times, people can remember.
  4. Shamans claim that they can enter ‘other world’ states at will. Statements about what they did in these states are not evidence, but powers related to control of their own physical bodies have been demonstrated. The most dramatic effect is fire-walking – crossing hot coals without damage to the flesh of the foot. Such mind-over-matter control is real.
  5. Shamanic accounts of their other-world doings have two points of significance. One is the consistency of the claims across many geographic areas and cultures. The other is their comprehensive world view. It is believed by shamans that the universe is a single unity, every part being connected and inter-dependent, and ordered by a principle of harmony.
  6. The concept of an integrated universe where the spiritual and the physical co-exist is similar to ideas current in the field of particle physics. In that field there is a school of thought that at the sub-atomic level all matter is indeed inter-connected. There are also physicists who postulate the existence of alternative realities. This derives from the fact that some sub-atomic particles change their nature between one observation and another – as if they were presenting one face to this universe and another to that one.

CONVERGENT IDEAS

This coming-together of spiritual and scientific views is comparatively recent. For some centuries western science was regarded as the sole means of discovering truth and the demand for physical, verifiable evidence has caused spiritual knowledge to be despised. But two things have happened to change this. Science has brought us particle physics, as mentioned, and the western world has discovered psychology. Work in that field has made many shamanist ideas look credible. There is now talk of the Cartesian Divide, a point in history at which science and logic triumphed over intuitive experience. Einstein was hoping to discover the single underlying principle that governed the universe. Shamans believe they know it.

So belief in some of the practices described as ‘witchcraft’ need not be regarded as stupid and unscientific. Rather, they should be seen as possibilities to be investigated. Sadly, there are barriers. One of these is exclusive dedication to ‘the scientific method’.

Language is also a barrier, because it so often makes other-world tales look ridiculous. Consider the fact that a shaman may talk of observing a ‘spirit’ interfering with a patient. The image created in a western mind might be a story-book devil whispering in the ear of the patients. Not credible. But we might well describe a greedy person as having a ‘greedy spirit’ and the inference would only be psychological. Wholly credible

PROOF? PROOF OF WHAT?

None of the arguments for the existence of a mind-matter link adduced above constitute proof. The effects described are often intermittent, uncertain and unpredictable. But suppose that a unique person in a unique situation triggered by accident some link in a causative chain. It might be ages before the effect was remarked on, and ages more before it was linked back to a putative cause. Possibly some historical events have been caused by witchcraft, but nobody has ever made the connection. An imaginative writer could exploit some of those to advantage,

When a link was postulated, attempts to demonstrate it might fail. This would be because the mechanism was not understood: not because it did not exist.

And we don’t always apply our rules. We accept as ‘real’ various relationships that don’t always ‘work’. Psychology, for instance, has many uncertainties. We accept a degree of patchiness when our knowledge fails. So what is ‘witchcraft’ and what is not? If the effects are erratic and unpredictable – but sometimes effective, does this make a supernatural link impossible? One of the harder tasks for a witchdoctor is causing his victim to see a terrifying image. Can this be done by psychological means? Children, read a terrifying tale at bedtime, sometimes wake up screaming because they have ‘seen’ the ghost/monster/spirit described before the light was turned off. Given strong mental projection by a witchdoctor, and an impressionable subject, this might just happen in the adult world.

THE POWER OF THOUGHT OR THE POWER OF PROPS?

If an evangelical preacher exhorts his audience to make an obvious gesture of commitment, some will do so and some will not. Is this witchcraft? He is performing certain actions aimed at a specific, measurable result and is succeeding sometimes. The results are patchy.

When a beautiful woman toys with her admirers and makes them do things for her that they would not otherwise do, is this witchcraft? Well, the mechanism is not understood and the results are patchy.

In both these cases there are physical factors at work that may or may not explain the effect without any mind-matter link. The preacher has a background, music, microphone, pulpit, visual aids and a well-trained voice. The woman has personal appearance and bearing, perfume, jewellery and an understanding of male psychology. Do these explain the whole matter – including the patchiness of the outcome?

What about this paraphernalia of witchcraft? What about the wax image of the victim with pins stuck into it? What about the evil-working object insinuated into the possession of the victim? There are several possibilities.

  1. It may have no influence on the result at all – the mind-matter link accounting for everything.
  2. It may have no direct influence on the result, but serve as a major aid to the concentration of the witchdoctor.
  3. It may have a direct psychological effect once the action is known to the victim.

All these options provide exciting opportunities for the writer.

There Is No Such Thing As Writer’s Block

There is no such thing as writer’s block – end of story.

Anyone who says they have this so-called affliction is just being lazy and stalling for time.

If you call yourself a writer then that is what you do – write, about anything or anyone. The key to becoming a good writer is simply to write.

I have held many classes for creative writers and I always start with one simple exercise. I tell my students to choose any object in the room – a pencil, book, ruler, glasses case or whatever is within easy reach. Then I ask them to describe that item – the way it looks, feels and smells or even tastes. Take a pencil for example. It may be, say, six inches long and painted red with a logo printed on it. It may contain lead or be a coloured pencil and it could be blunt or sharp. If it has been recently sharpened perhaps you can smell the wood shavings. Then you could start to think about who may have used the pencil before you picked it up and what they may have written with it. After a few minutes you have written a description about a seemingly ordinary object and you have a little story.

When you have a bigger project such as starting a book or trying to come up with the opening for the next chapter, simply write. Our minds are always ticking over and quite often you know what you want to say but you just can’t find the right words to put on the paper. So start with the wrong words, any words, but just start writing. Once you get your initial thoughts on paper you can come back later and rearrange the words to mean your intention. If you think you don’t even have a thought, then you are wrong. The thought may not be related to the subject of your book, but right down your thoughts anyway. Once you start the process of writing then the right words will come to you.

Like actors, a lot of motivation and ideas for writers come from observing people. To get inspiration, take yourself off to the local bus stop, train station or shopping mall and just sit and watch the passing parade. You will get descriptions for your characters – what they look like, the colour of their hair and eyes, the clothes they are wearing, the things they do – and you can create your own characters from the people you observe.

Always carry a little notebook with you and keep a pen and paper by your bedside. I often have great ideas last thing at night but would never remember them if I didn’t write them down before I go to sleep. Sometimes in the morning the idea doesn’t seem as great, but at least it’s there in case I need it.

In summary, there is no reason for anyone to ever say they have writer’s block. If you are truly a writer, then you will always find something to write about. The more you write the better writer you will become.

Surya Bai

It was a hot day and a very poor milk woman hobbled along the long, dusty road that led to the bazaar. By her side skipped her little girl sometimes lagging behind to pick the daisies that grew on the verge. As she was so tired the milk woman laid down her heavy metal cans brimful of milk, kicked off her shabby sandals to rest her weary feet and fell fast asleep in the strong sunshine.

Suddenly two Eagles swooped down from the cloudless sky with a great fluttering of wings. They winched up the little girl by her yellow ribbons, and swiftly bore her away to their nest in the topmost branches of a high tree. Their home was made of bronze and teakwood and to get in and out you had to bolt and unbolt seven massive teak clad bronze doors.

The Eagles loved the little girl as if she was their own daughter because she was so like a little bird. Mr Eagle looking at Mrs Eagle with his bright brown eyes said, ‘we’ll call her Surya Bai which means Sun Lady.’ And how they pampered her! Nothing was too good for her – wonderful toys and clothes and gifts, fit for a princess.

Surya Bai lived happily with them for many years. On her sixteenth birthday, Daddy Eagle said to Mummy Eagle. ‘You know, Surya Bai doesn’t have a ruby ring like most princesses. I think we ought to remedy that.’

‘Just what I was thinking! You’re a mind reader!’ exclaimed Mummy Eagle smoothing her feathers, ‘but I’ve heard that the only place where we can locate anything like that is by the Red Sea and that will mean an expedition lasting… ‘ and she broke off to count on her claws ‘… almost twelve months’.

The Eagles fretted about leaving Surya Bai all alone but then they decided she’d be completely safe and secure in the virtually impregnable home with a year’s supply of food and the dog and the cat to keep her company. And so they kissed her goodbye and soared away.

Now the cat, jet black with white ears and white tail, was very mischievous and one day she gobbled up rather more than her fair share.

‘You naughty, naughty kitty,’ scolded Surya Bai,’ just look what you’ve done!’ The food has got to last until Mummy and Daddy Eagle return and if you persist in eating at this rate, we’ll soon have nothing left and we’ll starve, you included. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.’ And she banished the cat into a far corner for the rest of the day. Puss was very annoyed and hissed and spat. She was furious at being punished, especially as the dog was making provocative faces at her. So she ran to the fire that was kept burning all day and all night and huffed and puffed till she’d blown it out.

Surya Bai was at her wits end. ‘What am I to do now? How am I going to re-light the fire?’ she wondered, ‘and if I can’t cook myself a meal, I shall starve and die,’ and she burst into tears.

‘Don’t cry, Surya Bai’, begged the dog. ‘Dry your eyes and stand at the edge of the nest and tell me if you can detect a plume of blue smoke in the distance.’

Surya Bai sniffed and blew her nose hard and running to the window fastened her gaze in the direction where the dog pointed with his paw, ‘Yes,’ she said ‘so there is. I’ll climb down and see if there’s someone who’ll lend me some matches.’

She slid down the tree carefully shutting each of the seven doors behind her and made her way towards the billowing smoke. Before too long she found herself in a clearing by a tiny cottage made entirely of black volcanic mud and banana leaves. Surya Bai tapped on the door.

A voice croaked, ‘who’s out there? Is it you my son?’

‘It’s me, Surya Bai,’ she replied. ‘My fire has gone out-would you lend me some matches?’

Now what poor Surya Bai didn’t know was that she’ d wandered into the country of the rakshas and the voice was that of an old crone who was none other than a rakshas herself. A rakshas is a particularly hideous and nasty demon with a long hairy nose, long pointed ears and slit eyes and it can transform itself into any shape it wants.

When the hag of a rakshas caught sight of Surya Bai she said to herself, ‘what a pretty little thing and what a simply delicious meal she’d make for my son. I’ll see if I can detain her here until he returns home.’

She turned to Surya Bai and smiled cunningly. ‘Ooh you poor little mite. Don’t you worry yourself. I must have some firelighters or matches somewhere. But first help me to pound this rice; I’m frail and my arms aren’t as strong as they once were.’

Surya Bai squatted on the floor and pounded the grains, backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards with a flat, crescent shaped stone. When she had finished, the junior rakshas still hadn’t returned from hunting.

The old rakshas was determined to keep Surya Bai there for as long as it took so she said, yawning and showing her pointed black teeth, ‘I’m exhausted – look, grind this corn for me and afterwards you’d be doing me a great favour if you’d sweep the floor and clean the house as it’s in need of a good going over.’

So Surya Bai, who was a willing, obedient little girl, ground the corn and swept the floor with a broom she’d found under a pile of rags in the kitchen. But there was still no sign of the junior rakshas and the mother knew she couldn’t persuade Surya Bai to stay very much longer without arousing her suspicions. ‘Why are you in such a hurry to go, dear? If you fetch me some water from the well, I’ll give you several big boxes of matches.’

Surya Bai went round to the back of the cottage, lowered a tin bucket into the well and drew up some fresh, cold water which she poured into a glass and handed to the old rakshas.

‘Thank you, dearie,’ said the rakshas. ‘Now you’ll find the matches in a trunk near my sewing basket. And before you go take some dried corn and sprinkle it along behind you as you make your way home so as to leave a trail behind my place and yours because I want my son to bring you a thank you present for all you’ve done for fragile old me.’

Surya Bai beamed and as she skipped back to the nest she scattered handfuls of corn as she ran along. The dog wagged his tail furiously when he saw her but the cat was still sulking. After re-kindling and re- lighting the fire, she cooked supper, fed the dog but not the cat, and then, because she was so tired, fell fast asleep.

Just after she’d left the old rakshas, the junior rakshas had come rushing home, famished after a day’s hunting during which he’d not managed to bag a single buck.

‘Be quick, son,’ urged his mother ‘you’ve just missed a tasty little morsel. But no problem- I told her to leave a trail and you’ll have no trouble following it.’

The junior rakshas set off in hot pursuit and soon reached the bottom of the tree. He scrambled up to the outermost door of the nest. ‘Oh, I can easily get in,’ he thought for he was the champion wrestler of the rakshas. ‘The door is no match for me. I’ll just shake and keep shaking until the whole thing disintegrates.’ But the door didn’t yield. Then he had a bright idea. ‘Let me in little one,’ he called, disguising his voice, ‘it’s me- Daddy Eagle. Mummy Eagle and I’ve brought you some magnificent surprises from the pyramids of Egypt.’

But Surya Bai didn’t hear him because she was asleep. Now all this shaking and banging and mimicry had made the young rakshas rather irritated and hoarse so he gave the door another kick and thumped it for a good ten minutes. It still didn’t budge an inch. Then, disgusted, he gave the door a final swipe and in all the to-do, one of his fingernails broke off and got stuck in the door. You may not know this but the fingernail of a rakshas is more poisonous than a scorpion’s bite.

Next morning, when Surya Bai opened the doors one by one till she came to the seventh and final door, she felt something graze her hand. It was the rakshas’ fingernail and she immediately collapsed in a coma.

At noon the Eagles returned to the nest delighted to be home again. On the threshold they found Surya Bai with her eyes tightly closed. They did their best but failed to revive her and were convinced she hadn’t long to live. They couldn’t bear to see her like that so they kissed and cuddled her and Daddy Eagle slipped the gorgeous ruby ring on her finger and with Mummy Eagle flew sadly away.

That afternoon, about tea time, a Rajah happened to ride by on an ebony horse. He was out hunting with friends and, glancing up, the nest had attracted his attention. ‘Get up there and tell me what it is,’ he commanded an aide. The Rajah was young and very handsome; he had a black moustache and curly black hair and wore a suit of the purest gold edged with precious gems and decorated with wild geese feathers. On his left shoulder perched a falcon.

The aide, who had by now reached the top of the tree, couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Surya Bai lying there so beautiful and motionless. He felt her pulse and realised she was just in a deep sleep. He slithered down as fast as he could and reported excitedly to the Rajah. ‘Sire, oh Sire,’ he said, hardly able to find the words, ‘there’s the loveliest girl imaginable up there.’

The Rajah gave a quick order to six footmen to bring her down. ‘What’s this?’ he muttered to himself as he saw something sticking out of her hand. It was the fingernail. He jerked it sharply out of her palm and slowly Surya Bai opened her eyes, blinked and gazed round her. The Rajah bent over her and said very tenderly, ‘Dear lady, I am the Rajah of Indahaar. I was out riding when I noticed that strange object,’ and he pointed to the nest. ‘Curiosity got the better of me. Won’t you tell me who you are?’

‘I am the Eagles daughter,’ Surya Bai told him, ‘and that’s my home. The Rajah threw back his head and laughed, ‘I can’t believe it,’ he said. ‘You must be of royal birth and a princess.’ Surya Bai shook her head and sighed. ‘Alas, I am not and now I’m all alone what’s going to become of me?’

The Rajah stood up and straightened himself to his full height till the jewels on his suit tinkled. ‘You shall be a princess by marriage,’ he declared, ‘for I shall make you my Rani (Queen).’ He swung her onto his saddle and rode off with her and she was crowned the very next day.

The Rajah was the step-son of the Queen Mother who was a spiteful woman and very jealous of Surya Bai’s beauty and sweet nature. For a long time she’d wanted her own niece to marry the Rajah and she resolved to break up the Rajah and his Rani but couldn’t find a way as they loved each other dearly.

Now Surya Bai had a faithful lady- in -waiting who was very fond of her and knew the Queen Mother was plotting against her. One day, as she helped Surya Bai comb her long black hair with a comb made from an elephant’s tusk, she said, ‘Rani, I want to warn you about the Queen Mother. She’s very embittered and will stop at nothing to stir up trouble for you.’

Surya Bai laughed. ‘What nonsense – she’ll soon get used to me. I don’t see why we can’t live happily together.’

But the Queen Mother was determined to get rid of Surya Bai and found the perfect way to do it. Surya Bai was trying on some jewellery the Rajah had given her and she and the Queen Mother were standing by a deep pond in the courtyard of the palace. The lady -in- waiting whispered to Surya Bai. ‘Stand back, Rani, you’re too near the edge,’ but Surya Bai didn’t hear her.

The Queen Mother sharply ordered the lady -in- waiting indoors. No sooner was her back turned than the Queen Mother took Surya Bai roughly by the shoulders and shoved her into the water. Then she hurried away as fast as she could. Surya Bai had never learned to swim and although she tried desperately to reach the bank she floundered. As she sank to the bottom of the pond, a lotus flower sprang up of a most delicate shade of pink and white.

The Rajah was frantic when Surya Bai was nowhere to be found and had the palace turned inside out. ‘What shall I do, what shall I do?’ he wailed in despair to the Queen Mother.

‘Ask Surya Bai’s lady- in -waiting,’ retorted the Queen Mother, maliciously seeing a way to get even with her, ‘she was her best friend.’

The Rajah summoned the lady- in- waiting and demanded to know what had happened to Surya Bai. But the woman remained silent knowing that she couldn’t accuse the Queen Mother without proof of her guilt. The Rajah, taking her silence for a confession of wrongdoing, had her incarcerated in the deepest and darkest dungeon in the palace.

The Rajah became so wan and unhappy that his subjects feared he was on the verge of death. Then one day, as he sat by the pond in a morose mood, he happened to notice the lotus flower and, as he watched it more closely, it glided towards him.

‘Oh, you beautiful thing,’ he said bending down to caress its petals, ‘you remind me so much of my love Surya Bai’ and every morning after breakfast, he’d go down to the pond and talk to the little flower and gradually gained a measure of peace.

The Queen Mother, jealous as ever, was enraged when she noticed the Rajah’s devotion to the plant. She ordered courtiers to rip out the lotus flower and burn it in the jungle when the Rajah was away. No sooner had they carried out her command and scattered the ashes of the lotus than a guava tree sprang up. At the very top hung the biggest and most perfect guava, both in shape and colour, which the kingdom had ever seen. People came from far and wide to admire it and the news reached the Rajah. He proclaimed that the magnificent guava was to be preserved specially for him.

One day, Surya Bai’s real mother, the milk woman, sat down to rest under the guava tree. Plop! Down rolled the guava into a milk can. The milk woman was horrified. ‘Goodness, I could be executed for being in possession of the Rajah’s prize guava. Nobody will ever believe it fell off accidentally.’ She loaded the cans on her shoulder and trundled home to her husband and her children as fast as she could.

After supper she told her family the story. ‘Deepak, ‘she said to her eldest son, ‘in that can over there you’ll find the guava. Lift it out and bring me a knife and we’ll each have a slice.’

So Deepak emptied the can. To the family’s astonishment a doll-sized woman clad in silk clothes stepped out. They could hardly speak so flabbergasted were they.

‘Let’s keep her as a member of the family,’ they decided,’she’s so pretty.’ So Surya Bai stayed and grew a little bit every day until she became the size of an ordinary young woman.

One day the milk woman said to Surya Bai. ‘Go into the meadow and milk the cows.’ She thought it was time Surya Bai learned a skill to earn her living. When Surya Bai had filled the pails with fresh milk the Rajah came riding past and caught sight of her. He recognised her at once and decided to follow her home.

Furious with rage he shouted at the milk woman. ‘So it was you who kidnapped my wife. Give her back to me this instant or I shall have you beheaded.’ The milk woman had never seen the Rajah in her life and thought he was mad. She picked up a stick and whacked him and his horse about the head, pulled his hair till he cried for mercy and chased him out of her garden.

The Rajah and his horse limped slowly back to the palace. ‘I’m pretty sure it was Surya Bai and I mean to get to the bottom of this,’ he thought as a doctor tended to his injuries. Then he had a brainwave. ‘This is what I’ll do. Surya Bai had a lady- in- waiting who was devoted to her. I’ll enlist her help.’

So, not wanting any of the palace staff to know of his plan he picked his way carefully down into the dungeon, holding his nose as he descended the fetid, stone stairway. ‘I want you to befriend the milk woman,’ he ordered the lady- in- waiting. ‘Find out all you can. If you haven’t sorted it all out within a fortnight, I shall have you exiled to the land of the rakshas.’

The lady -in – waiting lost no time in becoming acquainted with the milk woman and soon she was invited in for a cup of tea. There she saw Surya Bai and knew she was the missing Rani. ‘Tell me,’ she asked the milk woman, ‘has the little lady ever said anything about herself?’

‘It’s very strange.’ The milk woman shook her head. ‘Not a word. She doesn’t talk very much, you know.’ The lady- in- waiting knew she could solve the mystery if she stayed a little longer. ‘Could I ask you for another cup of tea as your milk is so delicious and, maybe, we could encourage her to tell us something,’ she suggested.

The milk woman was delighted to hear how much the milk was appreciated and rose to make another, milkier, cup of tea. ‘What a good idea! I’ve never thought to ask because I thought it might seem like prying. But now that you mention it, I don’t see why I shouldn’t.’ And she called out to Surya Bai who was busy watering flowers in the garden,’ come here, my dear and tell us your story.’

Surya Bai neatly wiped the watering can and stowed it away in the shed and then came and sat down between the lady- in-waiting and the milk woman. She told how she had been snatched away by the Eagles whereupon the milk woman erupted, ‘you’re the little girl I lost!’ and hugged and kissed her. Then Surya Bai talked about her life in the nest and her encounter with the rakshas and how the Rajah had come by and made her his wife. The lady- in-waiting threw herself at Surya Bai’s feet and kissed them and said humbly, ‘Rani, we have all been mourning you for so long.’

Deepak was dispatched to the Rajah who arrived post haste resplendent in a carriage made of mica and sapphires drawn by twelve prancing horses. He climbed out quickly and flung open the milk woman’s door.

There he saw Surya Bai smiling shyly and he was almost weeping with joy and relief. ‘I thought I had lost you forever. Come my sweetheart let’s return in triumph to the palace.’ And he and Surya Bai holding hands and laughing and waving rode back in the carriage through the streets that thronged with cheering people. As they stood on the palace balcony acknowledging the roars of the crowd, the two Eagles power dived from the sky bringing with them the dog and the cat as a gift for Surya Bai.

And what happened to the Queen Mother? She had been bribed by the rakshas to destroy Surya Bai and weaken the power of the Rajah. The Rajah was beside himself with rage when he learned of his step-mother’s evil deeds. His first thought was to condemn her to a slow and painful death by pouring boiling oil over her. Then he consulted his Ministers and they agreed that she should die a quick death. So just before dawn the next morning, before the birds began to twitter, the treacherous woman met her doom when she was bound with ropes of steel and tossed into the pit of cobras that guarded the high walls of the town.

©Serena Fairfax 2012

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