Ruskin Bond's novella The Blue Umbrella is the one that I have read the fastest in the recent past. Both children and adults can enjoy the narrative of Bond's unique style. Children would go to their imaginative world while the adult readers slip into their childhood. His descriptions are quite natural, and the theme selection is deceptively alluring. Even the way he names the characters sounds prone to hearing in our surroundings. This novella is all about a fancy umbrella that is owned by a village girl, Binya. It caused jealousy among the villagers, including the petty shop owner Ram Bharosa. He wanted to own it, but he failed to get it even by offering money.
The umbrella was a unique one and not available in the nearby towns. It was fortunately owned by the girl Binya from a family who arrived in the forest for a picnic. She bartered for a tiger nail. The family thought that the tiger nail brought good luck; thus, she had the blue umbrella. For her, it's a prized possession, and she keeps it held always whenever she goes to rear cows in the forest. Ram Bharosa offered money to own it, but was denied by Binya. Raja Ram, the boy who works for the shop owner, took it as a challenge to grab it from her. He snatched away while she was working in their fields.
She lamented losing such a beautiful umbrella. Her brother Bijju came to know it and caught Raja Ram in the forest near the village. There was a duel that took place between them, and the umbrella reached Binya, fortunately. Villagers got to know the cunning attempt of Ram Bharosa, and they all stopped buying anything from the shop owner. In that way, the business of Ram Bharosa took a dangerous toll. How Binya and Bijju came to terms with Bharosa was a smooth twist in the story. This small book reveals the value of honesty and forgiveness. Archana Srinivasan's illustrations are suitable and eye-feasting. Available on the Amazon platform.
The post is submitted to BlogchatterHalfMarathon -2025
