Submitted and Cover Illustrated By Sara
Long ago, there was a girl who lived with her four brothers. Three of them were cruel to her, but the youngest brother loved her and cared for her. In return, she cooked for him, looked after him, and sang lullabies to help him sleep.
One day while making dinner, she accidentally cut her hand, and some blood fell into the food. There was no time to make it again, so she served it as it was. For the first time, her brothers loved the meal and asked her to cook the same dish again.
But she could not. When she failed to make it taste the same, her brothers became angry and started giving her impossible tasks. They asked her to fill a pot that had a hole in it, but a frog sat in the hole and helped her carry water. They asked her to collect wood from tall trees, but a snake became a rope and helped her climb. Nature always came to her rescue.
One day, her brothers discovered that the special taste in the food had come from her blood. Furious, they killed her and divided her body into four parts.
The youngest brother was heartbroken. Instead of eating his share, he buried it near a pond.
After some time, a beautiful bamboo plant grew from that place. As it grew taller, the wind passing through it sounded like a lullaby. The youngest brother recognised the song—it was the same lullaby his sister used to sing to him.
The bamboo became very useful to the Gond people. They used it to make many things for their daily lives. This bamboo was called Bansin Kanya, the Bamboo Maiden, and it is said that her spirit still sings through the bamboo whenever the wind blows.
BIO: Sara is a visual storyteller with a passion for art, culture, and traditional narratives. Through her work, she enjoys exploring—creating stories, indigenous art forms, and the rich cultural heritage of various communities. She loves combining artworks and storytelling to bring these traditions across to a wider audience.