THE GREAT INDIAN DOLL

 

Misha had got a lovely little doll from her father on her birthday. It was a little Indian doll she named Brinda. Brinda was dressed in a colourful sari and her eyes were big and beautiful. They went round and round like a kathakali dancer and her little head nodded in the wind. And O’ wasn’t she pleased to see Brinda dance as soon as she turned the key. There was also a pleasing music in the background, as Brinda danced of sitar, violin and drums.

Little Misha put Brinda on the top of her showcase and watched her every day. One day at night as all dolls come alive, Brinda the great Indian doll started to talk to little Misha and said, “I was born in the land of faraway Calcutta, where I learnt to dance and play to the sound of music, but I miss all the other dolls in the doll shop, there was a flute player snake charmer with a snake, a rare little deer, a peacock and a white elephant. Every night the flute player snake charmer would play enchanting music while the colourful snake would coil and recoil, the peacock with its lovely feathers would begin to dance, the deer went bounding up and down and the white elephant would begin to trumpet aloud. From that night onward my head couldn’t stop nodding with delight, my eyes turned up and down in my little head and I danced happily away. But one fine day a man brought me home to you and I still miss my friends in the little knick Knack toy shop in Calcutta.”

So Misha drew little Brinda a beautiful painting of her favourite Indian doll, the kathakali dancer along with her other friends, the flute player snake charmer with his colourful snake, the rare little deer, peacock and the white elephant. She put the picture beside little Brinda the Kathakali dancer. Brinda was overjoyed! She was so happy, her head nodded in the breeze and she danced so that the ceramic doll fell off the showcase.

Poor Misha, watched her head break to pieces and cried inconsolably. Misha begged her father to take her to Calcutta to the rare little toy and knick knack shop. Her father agreed as he could not watch his daughter sob away all day long.

The toy maker replaced little Brinda, a new head exactly the same one as before, he had crafted delicately, with his hands. Misha placed her safely on the top and was overjoyed to see Brinda the great Indian doll dance again!