A parent might reach for this book when their child feels small, overlooked, or frustrated by someone who seems bigger or stronger. This charming Bengali folktale introduces a little old woman whose delicious rice porridge is repeatedly stolen by a thief. Instead of being scared, she gets clever. She enlists the help of a sharp knife, a stinging nettle, and a slippery cowpat to set a hilarious and effective trap. The story is a wonderful vehicle for discussing themes of resilience, creative problem-solving, and justice. Perfect for ages 4 to 8, it's a celebration of how wit and ingenuity can triumph over brute force, empowering children to believe in the power of their own minds.
The book features a home invasion (the thief) and slapstick violence as a means of justice. The approach is entirely metaphorical and humorous, not frightening. The thief's comeuppance is comical rather than graphic. The resolution involves public shaming, a common folktale device that may require context for modern readers, but it is presented as a just and community-endorsed outcome.
Ideal Reader
The ideal reader is a 5 to 7-year-old who feels powerless against an older sibling or a bossy peer. This book is for a child who is learning that they don't have to be the biggest or strongest to solve a problem and would benefit from a model of using cleverness and creativity to stand up for themselves.
Parent Prep
Parents can read this book cold, but might want to preview the specific elements of the trap (knife cutting, slipping on cowpat) to gauge for their own child's sensitivity. It could also be helpful to frame the story as a folktale, explaining that in old stories, problems were sometimes solved in funny, exaggerated ways, like parading the thief through town. A parent has just seen their child get their toy snatched by another child on the playground or heard them complain, "It's not fair, they always take my stuff!" The child feels frustrated and doesn't know how to respond effectively.
Age Experience
A younger child (4-5) will focus on the slapstick humor, the talking objects, and the satisfying silliness of the thief's predicament, especially getting stuck in porridge hair. An older child (6-8) will better appreciate the old woman's ingenuity, the theme of justice, and the idea that cleverness is a superpower. They can engage more with the fairness of her solution.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many European folktales that rely on magic or royalty, this Bengali tale celebrates the resourcefulness of an ordinary, elderly woman using mundane, even 'gross' objects (a cowpat) to enact justice. Its humor is earthy and physical, and its hero is self-reliant. The specific cultural context and illustrations provide a valuable window into a different storytelling tradition.
Read plot summary
A resourceful old woman is repeatedly robbed of her rice porridge by a thief. Fed up, she devises a plan. She asks several objects in her home, a knife, a cowpat, and a stinging nettle, to help her. When the thief returns that night, he is successively cut, slips, and is stung. The final trap is the woman herself, who has coated her hair with sticky porridge. The thief gets stuck fast, and she triumphantly parades him through the village to be shamed.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
The old woman used a knife, a cowpat, and a stinging nettle to help her. If you were setting a clever trap, what three funny things from your house would you use?
2
The old woman's hair was her final and best trap. Why do you think the thief was so surprised by it?
3
At the end of the story, the old woman shows the thief to everyone in the village. Do you think this was a fair way to teach him a lesson? What are other ways to do it?
4
The old woman was small, but she was very clever. Can you think of a time when being smart was more useful than being big and strong?
