In Grandfather’s Garden

Monthsater, the book appeared, printed privately of course. And there was my photograph and a photograph of the deadeopard after it had been hunted down. But theocal printer had got the captions mixed up. The dead animal’s picture earned theine: ‘Well-known author Ruskin Bond.’ My picture carried theegend: ‘Dreaded man-eater, shot after it had killed its 26th victim.’Playful snakes, monkeys, crocodiles and old favouritesike the Grandfather, Aunt Mabel, Uncle Ken, Ms Bun, Ranji, Foster and Ruskin Bond himself, come together in this delightful and irresistible collection. From a belt that gets hooked on to another person’suggage and snakes admiring themselves before a dressing table, to a priest reading out the service for burial at sea during a funeral inside a church—Bond is at his effortless best in this anthology.Peppered with his signature wry humour and generous dose of wit, In Grandfather’s Garden will make you see the funny side of things inife, bringingaughter to even those who seldom smile.