The Hidden Pool

A brand new edition of Ruskin Bond’s first novel for childrenLaurie is an English boy who moves to a hill town with his parents when his father is posted to India on work for two years. Laurie makes two new friends: Anil; the son of a local cloth merchant; and Kamal; who lost his parents during Partition and now sells buttons and shoelaces but dreams of going to college. Anil and Kamal introduce Laurie to an enchanted world of beetle races; ghosts; chaat and Holi; and he shares with them the secret pool he finds on the mountainside. At the pool the boys fish; build dams; take midnight dips; wrestle; and ride buffaloes. It is there that they plan their grand adventure: a trek to the Pindari Glacier; were no one from their town has gone before. On the slopes of the beautiful mountain they meet pumpkin-eating bears; and keep a close lookout for the Abominable Snow-woman who feeds children fruit; honey; rice and earthworms. This lost classic is a magical tale of adventure and friendship; told in Ruskin Bond’s inimitable style.