Folk Tales of Bengal: Life's Secret (1883) is a collection of stories
by Lal Behari Dey. Inspired by the stories told to him by village elders
in his boyhood, Lal Behari Dey wrote Folk Tales of Bengal: Life's
Secret in order to portray the lives and traditions of Bengali peasants
in a positive, human light. Praised by Charles Darwin for his novel
Govinda Samanta: Or the History of a Bengal Raiyat, Lal Behari Dey was
awarded a substantial prize for his literary achievements by a prominent
Bengali zamindar, cementing his reputation as a pioneering figure in
Bengali literature. "I have reason to believe that the stories given in
this book are a genuine sample of the old old stories told by old
Bengali women from age to age through a hundred generations." With this
certificate of authenticity, Lal Behari Dey presents the stories of his
youth in Bengal, stories of kings and queens, gods and monsters, of rich
and poor and everything in between. In "Life's Secret," he tells the
tale of Suo, a beautiful queen who has been unable to give birth to a
son for her impatient, powerful husband. Just as she is ready to give in
to despair, a mysterious healer presents her with a magical drug that
will grant her the fertility she seeks. In "Phakir Chand," two young
friends on a journey to a foreign land encounter a princess held captive
by a terrifying serpent. Saving her, they agree to remain at her palace,
but only one of them can take her hand in marriage. Charming,
instructive, and often surprising, Folk Tales of Bengal: Life's Secret
is an underappreciated masterpiece of Bengali literature from Lal Behari
Dey. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset
manuscript, this edition of Lal Behari Dey's Folk Tales of Bengal:
Life's Secret is a classic work of Bengali literature reimagined for
modern readers.
