I AM FIVE and I AM IN LOVE

Telugu: Vasundhara

English: Rajakumari

Once upon a time, not very long ago, lived clever and smart Little Nani. But in order to prove that he was not only clever and smart, but also old enough to play with his valiant older cousin Chinni gadu, he has to complete a set of tasks: he must fall in love with a princess, make her fall in love with him, save her from the spell of the evil sorcerer—this he must achieve by defeating the strong and evil sorcerer, and then marry her!

No wonder Nani is “in a dilemma”. Will the princess fall in love with Little Nani? How does Little Nani vanquish the evil sorcerer who is very evil, and very much older and stronger than him? How can a little guy marry the princess who is way too older than him?

This Telugu novelette from the pen of Vasundhara, was the only children’s fiction published by the Literary Monthly Magazine, Bharathi (October, 1985).

The story reflects the social circumstances of a typical orthodox middle class Telugu joint family in the 1980s, as perceived by a five-year-old boy. In an interesting narrative close to real life, the boy describes how he saves a girl from a still-existing social evil – dowry. It makes a good reading for adults and children alike.