Stories for the Innocent

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, popularly known as "Rajaji" or "C.R." was a great patriot, astute politician, incisive thinker, great visionary and one of the greatest statesmen of all time. He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, hailed as conscious-keeper of the Mahatma. As an ardent freedom-fighter, as Chief Minister of Madras, as Governor of West Bengal, as Home Minister of India and as the first Indian Governor-General of India, he rendered yeoman service to the nation and left an indelible impress on our contemporary life.

Rajaji was closely associated with Kulapati Munshiji and he was among the distinguished founder-members of the Bhavan. The Bhavan had the privilege of publishing 18 books (see page ii) by him so far, the copyright of which he gifted to the Bhavan.

All of Rajaji's works, especially on Marcus Aurelius, the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads are popular. In Ramayana and Mahabharata, he has displayed his inimitable flair for story-telling and applying the moral of stories to the needs of modern times.

Rajaji wrote not only in English but also in chaste Tamil, his mother-tongue. He was at his best as a short-story writer. The present book is a translation of some of his stories which open the window into the unsophisticated South Indian homes and ways of life. The reader will be fascinated by their gentle humour and unobtrusive didactic motif.

Rajaji passed away in 1972 at the age of 94.

	Kulapati's Preface	v
	Foreword by Dr. K.M. Munshi	viii
	Preface to the New Edition	ix
1.	Ardhanari	1
2.	Hunchback Sundari	10
3.	The Fatal Cart	22
4.	The Jasmine Flowers	47
5.	Sabesan's Coffee	69
6.	A Story around Astrology	75
7.	Repentance	79
8.	Royappan	84
9.	Shanti	91
10.	Devayani	104
11.	An Election Story	115
12.	The Gods Arrive	124
13.	The Innocent Child	128
14.	Sitaram	131
15.	Crackers	137
16.	Jagadisa Sastri's Dream	143
17.	The Mangala-Sutra	155
18.	The Awakening of Rajulu Chettiar	160
19.	The Wish of the Cocoanut Tree	163
20.	Inter-Marriage - Old Style	166
21.	Natesa Aiyar's Folly	170
22.	I want Cash	174
23.	Research in Advaita	179
24.	Judge Jayarama Aiyar's Penance	185
25.	Cook Muttandi	191
26.	The Devotee with the Spade	196
27.	The Conversion of Minister Sitaramaiyar	201
28.	Swamiyar Nalli	205
29.	Uttara Kanda - Revised	209
30.	A Drop of Poison	214
31.	The Killing of Vali	219
32.	Guilt Wiped Off	227
33.	The "Milk Ocean"	230
34.	The Picture in the Puja Room	233
35.	The Tree Speaks	239
36.	Hats and Sarees	243
37.	A Pair of Sandals	248