Short stories
For
Young Readers
(Book 1)
T.N.Neelakantan, M.Sc
Title: Short
Stories for Young Readers – Book 1
Author: T.N.Neelakantan, M.Sc
First Edition: Feb, 2011
Second Edition: Feb, 2012
Third Edition: Jan, 2014
Price: Indian Rupees 100
Printed at: Sundaram Press
Swamy
Sannathi
Tenkasi
627811
(Tamil
Nadu) India
Phone:
+91
ISBN: 978-81-928365-0-8
This
book of short stories is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and
incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is
coincidental
All
rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner
whatsoever without written permission from the Author Publisher except in the
case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Dedicated
To
My
Parents
Who
departed from me long back
But
Are
with me all the time
04633 283644 Fax: 04633 283636
Courtallam,
Tirunelveli District Pin:627802
(An
Autonomous College of the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University)
Dr. (Tmt)
C.RAJESWARI, M.A., Ph.D., M.A., (Soc) Dip in Jour
PRINCIPAL
Date:
27.12.2010
To
T.N.NEELAKANTAN,
70, Agraharam Street,
Melagaram 627802
Tenkasi
Dear Sir,
Regards. I enjoyed reading your text and I am
sending my ‘Foreword’ written without any exaggeration. I thank you very much
for giving me this honour.
Yours sincerely,
(sd)
C. RAJESWARI
Principal
Sri
Parasakthi College for Women
Courtallam
– 627802
FOREWORD
This anthology of ‘Nine Short Stories’ deserves
all literary merits and can serve the purpose of text for school children and
the purpose of enjoyment for short story lovers.
The narratives are
marked by clear, picturesque and direct style with profuse fragrance of
‘Indianness’ throughout. The ambience will certainly enthuse the young readers
to complete reading the anthology. The narration in most of the stories adopts
the literary technique – ‘stream of consciousness’ – yet not complicated. The
collection has definite moral purpose or message.
A few lines on each
story may not be superfluous here.
‘It’s all a matter of one’s attitude and perception’ brings into one fold two characters of antithetical nature, explaining
the values of friendship and facing challenges with the contemporaneous concept
of ‘Saving the Flora’ as setting.
‘KPL 20/20 – Killior Premier League: A Cricket Match’ is marked by the picturesque
presentation of life style of Agraharam, South Indian food and down to earth
episodes that would take every elderly reader back to his boyhood and would
serve as ‘ambrosia’ for young minds.
There is an assured
articulation of moral purpose in ‘Rajasekar
and Rajapandian.’ Two positive traits get high-lighted through the
narration. “Sow the seed of your aptitude within you to grow as the tree of
achievement.’ And ‘Be positively resourceful even to those who hurt you.’
Similar theme is explicated through ‘Shankar
– the Young Detective’ – the God given talent within must be detected
and nurtured.
‘Brave Hearts’ is an illustration for
concern for the persons around with love, compassion and service mindedness
explicated through the central characters, Bhavana and the narrator.
The much needed
contemporaneous theme of ‘Haves’ and ‘Have nots’ of foreign life is
meticulously described in The
Opposites with emotional intensity. The settlers in alien soil are
‘Haves’ of affluence but ‘Have nots’ of basic enjoyments of familial relationships
and day to day living in the mother soil.
The next two stories,
specially ‘Journey to Vortex’
take a form of ‘Fact garbed in fiction.’ The details in ‘Super Nova’ deserve commendation.
The capacity for
accomplishing deeds – great or small but timely can make an insignificant
person, a worthy one. The message is conveyed in ‘Every life has a great meaning.’
Short story is a
literary genre which pressurizes the writer to compress the matters in a
suitable manner to get his expected outcome. This anthology has fulfilled its
purpose.
My hearty commendations
to Shri T.N.Neelakantan for
his literary endeavor done with utmost perfection and definite purpose. His
literary fervor combined with his creative imaginative ability and his love for
the native soil, has supplemented the Indian literature in English with this
anthology.
I pray to Goddess
Saraswathi to bless him with everything that will facilitate him to
continuously contribute to the literary world.
It was just some Divine Grace
that when I decided to write, the flow came on its own naturally. For a novice,
I believed I wrote well and published some of my writings in my blog:
www.neel48.blogspot.com. Many of my well-wishers, friends and relatives
commented favorably on my writings and offered a number of suggestions. That
encouraged me to write more. Initially, readers of my blog were my only fans. I
gained confidence, over a period of time and one day, the idea struck me: Why
not I publish my short story collections? The more I thought about the idea and
paid attention to it, the more it gained strength and fructified in the form of
a book. I believe, that is how most accomplishments happen. Everything remains
an idea in someone’s mind until it gains sufficient power to generate actions.
When actions become purposeful, constructive, and sustained, keeping a clear
image of the outcome in one’s mind, the results always show off. I was
immensely happy to see my writings in the form of a book, early 2011.
While writing these short
stories, I had kept young readers - especially those from rural and semi-urban
areas - in my mind. I had tried to keep the narrative and language simple. I
have used Indian characters and settings, to help readers easily identify
themselves with the story and the flow. To further help readers feel at home, I
have sprinkled here and there, words in the local language as such, without
struggling to find their English language equivalent. Pictures speak more than
words. I have also used specially made drawings and some publicly available
photographs as part of my book, to add color. Imagery is an essential element
of reading. When I read books, I have a habit of picturizing in my mind what I
read. The same habit continued when I wrote too. I am sure, readers too might
do the same when they read this book.
I am one who believes that when
someone grows spiritually, their life meets with more lasting happiness. Every
moment of our life offers significant spiritual messages. We have to only
notice them. I have used these stories not only as an entertainer for
time-passing, but also to convey, subtly, a few powerful messages. I believe
this book would meet the needs of young readers for their pleasure reading,
language development and also help gain some important messages for personal
development.
When my short stories were first
published in the form of a book in 2011, I had the immense satisfaction that
one of my lifetime ambitions came true. This would not have been possible but
for the significant encouragement I received from my small reader-club, that
included my wife and children. They were my first critics and they never
hesitated to offer constructive criticisms on my writing. I owe my gratitude to
all of them.
I also offer my sincere gratitude
to Professor R.Ramakrishnan at Bangalore, who had encouraged me in several ways
and particularly, in writing this book. I thank him not only for his
encouragement, but also for all his suggestions and help in bringing out this
book.
I had shown my short stories to a
few academicians and I thank them all for their commendations, opinions and
suggestions. I am in particular grateful to Dr.Smt.C.Rajeswari, the then Principal,
Sri Parasakthi college for Women, Courtallam, Tirunelveli District, Tamilnadu
for going over the story collections with great interest and providing the Foreword
to this book.
I also thank Shri Mariappan,
artist of P.M.Arts, for providing the drawings for some of my stories.
Above all, I thank Almighty
profusely, for providing me with the right motivation, encouragement,
commitment and determination, in all that I do.
I dedicate this book to my
parents who departed me long back, but are always with me in every moment of my
life. I pray that they continue to accept my shortcomings and bless me from
wherever they are, for all my efforts.
I have made a number of changes
to my book and I am very happy to present the third edition of the book.
February, 2014 T
N Neelakantan
