Mulla Nasruddin

Thirteen-year-old Shashank is stuck over his Maths homework when a doodle in his notebook comes to life. He introduces himself as Mulla Nasruddin, MN for short, and the two quickly become friends. MN has a story for every occasion, and Shashank is never sure whether to see him as an explorer, a time-traveller, a smuggler or a clown.

Shashank begins writing the stories down. They include MN tumbling off roofs, outwitting the Travelling Brainies, staying dry in the rain, finding a road at the top of a tree, eating an entire basket of chillies, and trying to get rid of the pet elephant of Timur the Lame. Shashank often can't tell what the tales are supposed to mean, and MN rarely explains, answering a question with another question or a story about his donkey.

Then, while searching for MN online, Shashank gets caught in a magic grid and has to find his way out using his wits and nerve. As he hunts for an exit, MN's words come back to him and show him how to face his own fear and a hidden sorrow. Sampurna Chattarji places the well-loved Nasruddin tales inside a modern boy's imaginative world, in a retelling meant for children and adults alike.