Elephantam Misophantam – Vinoy Thomas; Tr. Nandakumar K.

Description

Lightning Tusker is tranquilised and corralled with the help of Dr Tharappan. This is no ordinary elephant; he’s the embodiment of ‘Elephantam’, the very essence of all that is good in the universe. His captors are filled with its nemesis, the dark energy known as ‘Misophantam’. It permeates men like Gunner Chandy who had killed Lightning Tusker’s father, Peacock Plum, for his tusks the colour of peacock feathers.
Granny Elephant knows this. She also knows how the universe the tussle between Elephantam and Misophantam, good and evil, how they crashed into one another, caused the Big Bang. She tells the baby elephants in her herd that Elephantam and Misophantam have existed in the sky and on this earth ever since. She can also sense that an elephant in their midst, known to be weak and reclusive—and tuskless—is in fact magical.
This is the story of two Lightning Tusker, the bravest young elephant in the forest, and Tuskless Tusker, written off by everyone as a lost cause. It’s also a story about friendship and courage, about human greed and hubris. From one of Malayalam’s most celebrated young writers, comes a tale that moves and entertains in equal measure.