Field of 13 - Short stories by Dick Francis - Published in 1998

In 1956, Dick Francis, a steeplechase jockey, riding Devon Loch, the Queen Mother’s horse, was in for a win, when mysteriously, it appeared as if the horse were jumping a phantom fence, collapsing 50 yards from the winning post in the Grand National in 1956.

There was no looking back, as the once celebrated and respected jockey, turned his innate sense of the magnificent animal to help him create characters and stories that have captivated readers since the 1960s.
Field of 13 was written in 1998, and is a collection of short stories by this sensitive and insightful author:

1. Raid at Kingdom Hill
This short story first appeared in The Times, 1975. It talks about a bomb scare in a fictional racetrack called Kingdom Hill. What started out as a figment of the Author’s imagination , unfortunately found place in real life, when the 1997 Grand National Steeplechase was halted due to a bomb hoax.

2. Dead on Red
The fast paced story of French hit man Emil Jacques, who targets a jockey Red Millbrook, on behest of a jealous peer Davey Rockman. Jacques is famed in his field and is also a gun collector, hired to kill Red, a famed rider, who stole Rockman’s job.

3. Song for Mona
A mother’s love for horses is the cause for her daughter’s shame and disdain. Mona Watkins loves her animals, this is her livelihood as well as her passion, but is Joanie Vine’s embarrassment, as it hinders her efforts to climb the social ladder.

4. Bright White Star
This story first appeared in Cheshire Life, in 1979.It talks about a tramp and a horse that is stolen on Christmas Eve.

5. Collision Course
The story subtly talks of divine retribution, of how a newspaper editor who has lost his job, earns justice upon a malevolent restaurateur and horse trainer.

6. Nightmare
It first appeared in The Times, 13 April 1974. Story about a horse thief, eluding his past, when his father is killed in the heist.

7. Carrot for a Chestnut
His first short story, written eight years after the debut novel, appeared in Sports Illustrated, in 1970. Chestnut is fed carrots laced with drugs; the jockey is fed a just dessert when he starts to lose concentration and meets with a terrible accident.

8. The Gift
The story first appeared as "A Day of Wine and Roses" in Sports Illustrated, 1973. It is the story about an alcoholic, a former racing writer a pickpocket and a plan to fix the Kentucky Derby.

9. Spring Fever
The story is about unrequited love and the pain of rejection, when a jockey and trainer hatch a plan to embezzle 12000£ from a smitten owner; it first appeared in Women's Own magazine, 1980.

10. Blind Chance
The story first appeared as "Twenty-one Good Men and True" in Verdict of Thirteen: A Detection Club Anthology, 1979. It is about a blind boy who gathers information of how bettors are getting information on races.

11. Corkscrew
The touching story of an honest man charged with a crime he did not commit, whilst his dishonest lawyer swindles the man’s parents out of bail money.

12. The Day of the Losers
It first appeared in Horse and Hound, February 1977. Story of money from an old robbery, police plan to stop a race from getting fixed to catch a crook.

13. Haig's Death
The story of what the outcome will be after a race - the fate of many rests in the hands of the judge.

M is for Magic (A book by Neil Gaiman) - Published in 2007

The book is a compilation of short stories, written by Gaiman: ‘Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams.’ He alludes to Saki, Harlan Ellison, John Collier and Ray Bradbury, all writers whom he adores and is influenced by; the ten stories have range, exploring Gaiman’s depth and style, imagination and passion as a writer.

1. The case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds (from Knave)
The story has characters from nursery rhymes, that beloved and fragile eggshell encased character Humpty-Dumpty, is a vicious extortionist in the tale, unlike the image we have of him from Mother Goose!
And Jill, actually the Queen of Hearts, gets a makeover, the woman of scarlet with myriad dark shades is a criminal par excellence, having gotten rid of HD, Cock Robinson and Dr. Foster – all for the four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie and the one who pecked her nose off - audaciously HD having photographed her sans snoot - reason enough in Nursery-land to bump someone off! A macabre read for a child!

2. Troll Bridge (from Smoke and Mirrors)
When steam engines became a thing of the past and railway tracks were uprooted, a young boy revels in childhood rituals - walking home from school, catching shrimp, colored rocks and whiling away time. And then he’s lost (but doesn’t seem to mind it!) – what makes it even more adventurous is his meeting with a troll - horrifying and threatening to eat him for having trespassed his bridge. But after promising to return when he’s older, the troll lets him by unscathed. When he’s fifteen, he returns, although unknowingly - with a girl, planning to do what teenagers would, unchaperoned, - and then, the troll freezes the girl into a zombie. This time the boy asks the troll to take the girl, he refuses (because she’s innocent) – he’d rather eat his life. Once again, the teenager appeals to the troll’s kindness and escapes.
Many years later, disillusioned, he returns, seeking the troll, who is surprised, even touched that he returned-and this time, he does eat his life, leaving the man, now a troll to haunt the greens under the bridge.

3. Don't ask Jack (from Smoke and Mirrors)
Some toys you buy off the counter, some are bequeathed - in the story, its Jack’s ornate box, never opened because it’s so valuable, and so an aura surrounds it, giving wind to many stories; the most circulated being that Jack was the guardian of Pandora’s box - he kept the evil from getting out.
But sometimes some kids do open the box, quietly, in the attic - and Jack comes out from the box, whispering things they’ll never forget. The children in the house grow up, one dead in the Great War, another in a mad house, the girls now old women, and all this while, Jack waits upstairs patiently for a child to come by - they never do.
Chilling and creepy, the story is great for a night time bed story -don’t look under the bed, and if you have   a box on the dresser, don’t you dare open it - Jack would know, he’s waiting…




4. How to sell the Ponti Bridge (from Imagine #24)
The American conman George Parker sold the Brooklyn Bridge twice a week, and repeatedly, for years, giving rise to the phrase “and if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you.”
The Rogues’ Club is an exclusive intergalactic joint - the best in all the seven worlds, formed almost seventy thousand years ago (the bad guys have been around that long!)  in the Lost City of Carnadine. One evening, over conversations about past exploits and fine wine, a patron comments how classless it was when conmen tried to sell popular spots like the Ponti Bridge, to unsuspecting and susceptible tourists. That was low, even for accomplished fraudsters! The narrator comments that if at all the task was to be accomplished - the perpetrator would have no access to membership at this Club!
A suave man called Stoat cuts in politely, and tells all around that in fact - HE had gotten membership to The Rogues’ because he had sold the Ponti Bridge! He shares with them how he’d arrived penniless, and while listening to a tour guide at the bridge (studded with jewels) that Ponti wasn’t for sale, despite what scamsters were telling simple folk like them. That gave Stoat food for thought, and in his unctuous way, he sells the Bridge, bit by bit to jewelers of the city. Not revealing what the details were and what the consequences of his act were, Stoat leaves his audience wondering, and in wonder. The Rogues present feeling not so cad-like and clever anymore.

5. October in the chair (from Conjunctions)
October is chairing a meet of the twelve months, as they sit by a fire, sharing their experiences. Needless to say, October has the best story to tell. He narrates a tale about a little boy called Runt (here –a name, otherwise – a word meaning an undersized animal) , well that was his nickname, the only person who called him by his actual name Donald was his grandma. One day, Runt runs away from home, and befriends the ghost of a boy called ‘Dearly’. They have the best time- climbing trees and talking to each other. When it’s time to leave- Runt doesn’t want to, he’d rather die than go back to being a ‘runt’.
The story ends with Dearly showing Runt the farmhouse in the field of weeds, and as the ten year old stands by himself in the graveyard, he decides to go into the house, maybe hoping that he would be accepted as a ‘resident’ in the after life -yard, with Dearly for a friend. A jittery June asks what happened to him, but mild May entreats with  her not to ask, some things are better left unknown….I wonder, though…

6. (For Ray Bradbury) Chivalry  (from Smoke and Mirrors)
Genteel and aged Mrs. Whitaker purchases the Holy Grail from Oxfam, along with two Mills & Boons titles (which she’ll never read). The silver chalice would look wonderful on the , it mantelpiece.
And look wonderful – it does! Mrs. Greenberg, though, casts a jaundiced eye over it, proclaiming her son her son Myron had won a chalice like that for swimming- and unlike this one, his had his name engraved on it!
Social ritual over, the bell rings once more and Mrs. Whitaker opens the door to find a ‘knight in shining armor’, literally, at her doorstep. He introduces himself as Galaad, and that he is on a Right High and Noble Quest to find the Holy Grail- which is currently in her possession. The old lady asks him to leave when he requests that she give him the blessed chalice, refusing his offer for gold in exchange for it.
He returns again on Monday, and she asks him to help her out in the garden, he offers her the sword Balmung, she refuses, he leaves. On Tuesday, she gets him to help her with the boxes; he bears more gifts: the Philosopher’s stone, the  Egg of the Phoenix and lastly an apple carved out of a single ruby, the last would help her once more be youthful and live eternally.
She tut-tuts and tells the Knight to ‘put the apple away…you shouldn’t offer things like that to old ladies. It isn’t proper.’ Finally, she feels that the Stone and the  Egg were a fair exchange for the Grail, and sends Galaad away. On her next trip to Oxfam, she almost buys an old funny looking lamp- but decides not to, since there isn’t space on the mantelpiece for it.
Galaad still chivalrous after thousands of years, never once taking advantage of the Old Lady, who for her meager life, takes great pride in who she is and what her life has to offer. The best read  in the Book, so far!

7. The price  (from Smoke and Mirrors)
Perhaps the best read on Halloween’s, The Price tells of a Black Cat that is adopted by  the Author’s family, it is well cared for and loved. However, much to the bewilderment of the couple, Black Cat is always found wounded and bleeding each morning. With its best interest at heart, the narrator thinks it might help  if the cat were locked in the basement, far from harm’s way; strange things, bad things start to happen to the family, and the lady of the house, intuitively asks the husband to let the cat out of the
basement - she had commented on its arrival that it was a ‘person.’ Curious and concerned to find out who or what is harming the pet, the narrator stays awake all night- and discovers that the Devil, in guise of a woman, nearly mutilates the Black Cat, who puts up a fight and sends the Devil packing.
Realizing then that the cat is actually protecting his family, the narrator makes a decision to keep it, although guilty for The Price he expects it to pay….creepy.

8. How to talk to girls at parties (from Fragile Things)
The title is most suggestive and narrates the travails of Enn, whose only experience with the fairer sex is mums discussing politics and poetry, and the three girls he’s kissed. Understandably envious of Vic, his pal who has a way with women, Enn follows him around like a woebegone pup waiting for a treat. When it’s his turn to finally meet someone, Gaiman sets up an encounter with ‘alien women’ who want to fertilize him with a memetic virus transmitted verbally , in the form of a poem-such that the entire human race will be transformed. This alien-girl called Triolet sings him a poem, believing that if he hears it, it will change him. The story may have meant to thrill, but actually grosses you out and one can understand when Vic throws up after an encounter with a girl, who was also an extraterrestrial creature. Best avoided.

9. Sunbird (from Noisy Outlaws)
Augustus TwoFeathers McCoy, Professor Mandalay, Virginia Boote, Jackie Newhouse and Zebediah Crawcrustle are looking for something new to sink their teeth into - literally. The five are members of an epicurean club and have tried everything - from the exotic to the bizarre - and are raring, hungry for more. Mammoths, sloths, fruit bat, panda - have all traveled through their entrails.
And then they lament the fact that Man is no longer on the menu - served after electrocution (this is  getting more gut churning and sick) , thankfully they aren’t after man-meat, but instead decide to travel to Cairo to hunt the elusive Sunbird (Phoenix).
The Sunbird is set to come to Earth when the planet is closest to the Sun, and as the beauteous creature floats down, it is soon served on a platter to the five - who devour it with gusto. No sooner had they finished eating,  their innards feel like they are being set ablaze, and as they burn to white ash, a new generation of birds is born, a man who rises from the ashes like a Phoenix and a young girl…bizarre, avoidable.

10. The witch's headstone (from Dark Alchemy: Magical Tales from the Masters of Modern Fantasy)
Nobody ‘Bod’ Owens, the human creature among the dead, decides to crossover to unconsecrated ground - to where the Witch’s Headstone was supposed to be; she seems a likeable creature, helpful and kind.
Going to great lengths to steal a snakestone, then selling it to a corrupt trader Abanazer, Bod tries his level best to ensure that Lizzie gets her headstone - she healed his broken leg, after all!
When Abanazer  and his goon try and rough him up, Lizzie comes to his rescue, saving him from the kidnappers. Although his guardian Silas is upset that he’s been absconding without anyone knowing, the man-ghost-vampire like creature understands why Bod did what he did.
The story is an excerpt from the Graveyard Book, elaborated for effect for a short, separate story.

The Whole Family (published in 1908) - A collaborative novel, with one written by Henry James

Henry James was one of the greatest literary figures of the 19th century and his works are considered mini masterpieces of the time. He was born in New York City into a wealthy and intellectual family. Young James was tutored in the many learning centers of Europe and also studied at the Harvard Law School for some time. But he liked his literary pursuits to the study of law. James preferred living in Europe than in America and even renounced his American Citizenship for its refusal to enter in to World War I. He was a regular contributor to literary magazines and started his first novel “Watch and Ward” in his early twenties. His masterpieces like “Daisy Miller” and “Portrait of a Lady” quickly followed. His protagonist are complex individuals battling personal and provincial prejudices and many a time bring about the complexities of American and European lives. Henry James died at the age of 65 and his ashes are interred at Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The old adage “too many cooks spoil the broth” is a very apt signature line for this novel, The Whole family. It is a collaborative effort by twelve authors and is the brain child of William Howell. It was carried out under the direction of Harper Bazaar editor, Elizabeth Jordan. Apart from Howell the only other novelist of repute who participated in this effort was Henry James. Howell wanted to write a great novel about the effect of an engagement and marriage on the lives of different members of the family. This light hearted venture became a interplay of emotions and relationships with a black sheep of the family.



Howell starts the novel with the Talbert family who own the family business “silver plate works” which churns out mundane household items. Talbert's college educated daughter, Peggy Talbert joins the family after finishing the education and is promptly engaged to a Harry Goward. Harry is a weak person and somewhat unsuited for Peggy.
After this, the next author Mary Freeman careens off the novel from the intended path by introducing a sexually aware aunt. Howell had intended the twelve authors to explore the effect of Peggy's engagement in twelve different members of the family. The aunt was supposed to be a benevolent old maid. But Freeman gave her a bohemian touch and the aunt was a colorful attractive minx to whom Peggy's intended would be attracted to. The aunt encourages this dalliance and whole hell breaks loose.
Then the subsequent authors had to contend with the aunts effect on Peggy and other members of the family. So the confusion is much evident as each author grapples with sexuality and relationships. At last the loose ends are tied up, the aunt is exiled to New York city and the fiancée is sent packing. Peggy finds a soul mate in the staid Professor Stillman Dane. They sail for Europe for their honeymoon along with Peggy's brother Charles and his wife Lorraine.
This broth is a disaster from the word go. The characters suffer as they are constrained by the layout given to the authors. The imagination of the writers never work here and this novel feels like a amateur effort. A tame insipid ending does not help the story at all. There is no excitement and verve a novel should offer. It is better you pass this hotchpotch.

Puck of Pooks Hill (published in 1906) - A fantasy book by Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling, a Nobel laureate was born in India to a vivacious Alice Kipling and sculptor Painter, John Kipling. His works range from poems, to children's books. Rudyard was a English language writer whose prose is peppered with colloquial usage and languages mainly from India which opens a window to the prevailing culture and customs of the time. His children's stories are the most endured classics of the time and his short stories are the most sought after. Many of his works are deemed to be controversial as the time progressed. Rudyard Kipling was the product of an imperial India where imperialism under Queen Victoria was at its heights. His poems like 'White Mans Burden' are often sited as a clarion call for the imperialist and has been criticized by subsequent humanist. But as one of the youngest Nobel Prize recipient for English Language, the place for Kipling in human history cannot be discounted and his prose and poems enthuse millions even today. Kipling died in 1936 in London and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
These are series of stories which Kipling has taken from historical accounts and is basically about the Kings and Queens of yesteryears in Europe. So you have Queen Elizabeth, King henry, Roman Generals, Fairies, pirates and vikings striding across the pages in a glorious procession before your very own eyes.



The story starts with two children Dan and Una who stage their version of “The Midsummer Nights Dream” thus pulling the naughty fairy Puck in to their midst. Puck magically transports them across ages where they see a Norman Knight, a Renaissance artisan, Saxons, Picts, Norsemen (Vikings), a Chinese slave-master, Kings, Queens and many others, each of whom imparts his respective piece of England's history. The fantasy stories starts with:

Weland's Sword: It tells the account of the Norseman conquest where Weland the great smith forges the sword through which he conquers a country and a princess.

The Young man of the Manor continues the saga of the Norman conquest and introduces Sir Richard Dalyngridge who takes part in the conquest and wins a manor.

The Knight of the Joyous venture depicts the voyage by the Danes along with Richard Dalyngridge and other captured prisoners.

Old Men of Pevensy tells the story of intrigue in the court of Henry I when he is in Pevensy.

Centurion of the Thirtieth is the story of Parsimus who is a Roman soldier who goes to battle with the general Magnus Maximus. It tells the conquest of Gaul by the general.

On the great Wall tells us about the Hadrian Wall which was built by the Romans and it defense against the invaders.

The Winged Hats continues with the Hadrian Wall and the defense of general Magnus Maximus.

'Hal o' the Draft' is the tale of deception, mutiny and beheading involving the explores Sebastian Cabote and Privateer Andrew Barton

Dymchurch Flit is a fairy tale where Puck disguises himself as Tom Shoesmith and tells the story of widow Whitgift who loaned her sons to help others.

“The treasure and the Law” is about a Jewish money lender Kadmiel whose shrewdness is instrumental in signing of the Magna Carta ushering in peoples law in England.

All these tales are in the realm of historical fantasies and educate the children about the law and evolution of the land (England) they live in. beautiful and delightful and a must read for all ages.

Just So Stories (published in 1902) - A collection of children's stories by Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling, a Nobel laureate was born in India to a vivacious Alice Kipling and sculptor Painter, John Kipling. His works range from poems, to children's books. Rudyard was a English language writer whose prose is peppered with colloquial usage and languages mainly from India which opens a window to the prevailing culture and customs of the time. His children's stories are the most endured classics of the time and his short stories are the most sought after. Many of his works were deemed to be controversial over a period of time. Rudyard Kipling was the product of an imperial India where imperialism under Queen Victoria was at its heights. His poems like White Mans Burden are often sited as a clarion call for the imperialist and has been criticized by subsequent humanists. But as an youngest Nobel Prize recipient for English Language, the place for Kipling in human history cannot be discounted and his prose and poems enthuse millions even today.
Just so stories are a series of “how did it happen stories” designed for children. But adults also enjoy them a great deal because of the interplay of philosophical and religious ideologies. The various stories take their content heavily from Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic traditions and transcend the barriers of culture, color and continents. Another thing about Rudyard Kipling's stories is the language which is refreshing as new rain, it is polite and peppered with witticism and takes us to those days where chivalry and long poetry ruled roost.



The stories include:

How the Whale Got His Throat: Did you know that the whales mouth is criss-crossed by a raft to prevent it from feeding on large animals. This is done as a punishment for its greediness in eating all the animals at sea. So the poor whale can eat only shoals of small fish.

How the Camel Got His Hump: This story tells how the Camel was punished for it laziness with a hump which in-turn helps it to work uninterrupted for 3 days with out food or water.

How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin: The folds of the Rhinoceros is because of the cake crumbs and raisins between its hide put their by a magical Parsee, as a punishment for eating his cake.

How the Leopard Got His Spots: This story tells how the leopard and the Ethiopian painted themselves up all spotty and black to help themselves hunt animals in a shadowy, patchy, dark jungle.

The Elephant's Child: A great account of a curious elephant who got its nose pulled by a crocodile in to a trunk

The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo: This tells us about the Kangaroo who is chased by a Dingo around the world for daring to ask big God Nqa to make him different. All the running made his leg strong and muscular and thus made him different.

The Beginning of the Armadillos: Whats an Armadillo?, Just a Hedgehog and Turtle transforming together to escape from an unfriendly Jaguar. Only Kipling has such imagination!!!!

How the First Letter was Written: According to this, the first letter was written by a little girl Taffy, to her mother to get her fathers spear. This delightful story is about the case of bad artistry all gone wrong causing a wonderful change.

How the Alphabet was Made: So Taffy, causes an unfortunate accident because of her bad drawing in the earlier story and therefore tries to invent alphabets to get her ideas across. So “A” is an inverted craw-fish trying to say AH!!!! delightful concept. Loved this story

The Crab that Played with the Sea: This story is about the crab who interferes with the “play” of the universe and is punished for it. It also tells how it got its pincers, Shell and sideways gait.

The Cat that Walked by Himself: This tale tells the independent nature of the cat who in-spite being domesticated “walks every where and comes anytime”.

The Butterfly that Stamped: This story tells the how the beautiful Queen Balkis helps emperor Suleiman bin Daoud to control his nine hundred and ninety nine wives.

These charming tales will be an splendid antidote for the boredom afflicting your house. Join the family, switch off the TV and read aloud this mystical tales of the world.

Stalky & Co (Published in 1899) - Written by Rudyard Kipling, a collection of short stories

Rudyard Kipling, a Nobel laureate was born in India to a vivacious Alice Kipling and sculptor Painter, John Kipling. His works range from poems, to children's books. Rudyard was a English language writer whose prose is peppered with colloquial usage and languages mainly from India which opens a window to the prevailing culture and customs of the time. His children's stories are the most endured classics of the time and his short stories are the most sought after. Many of his works are deemed to be controversial as the time progressed. Rudyard Kipling was the product of an imperial India where imperialism under Queen Victoria was at its heights. His poems like White Mans Burden are often sited as a clarion call for the imperialist and has been criticized by subsequent humanists. But as an youngest Nobel Prize recipient for English Language, the place for Kipling in human history cannot be discounted and his prose and poems enthuse millions even today.
Stalky and Co is a collection of stories about adolescent boys who are in a boarding school in a quaint town of Westward Ho!. These stories are influenced by the real life boarding school experiences of Kipling and Stalky is inspired from his friend LC Dunsterville and Beetle being the bespectacled avatar of himself. The others include, M'Turk based on George Charles Beresford, Mr King based on William Carr Crofts and the school is based on the United Services College.



Stalky, the type of self-contained boy who smiles at you as he plots your destruction. McTurk, an Irish aristocrat for whom bad aestheticism is the worst crime. And, refreshingly, Beetle, a bespectacled poet. Their deadly combination wreaks havoc on any schoolmaster unwise enough to set himself in opposition to them. The stories trace their many pranks at school including playing with dead cats, brewing beer and smoking like a chimney. These books are typical Kipling works which involves a collection of interconnected stories with a verse of two peppered in between.
Kipling is taken up completely by Stalky whom he describes to be “in black tights and doublet, a black silk half-mask on his forehead, whistling lazily where he lay on top of the piano” compared to the nearsighted Beetle.
At the end of the stories all the mischief and the pranks enable them to be the person they are, patriotic and able to defend the empire far and wide. At the end of their youth they assemble at the castle of a friend who inherits the title to reminisce and drink to their amazing peers who serve in the army.
Kipling's stories may shock many today especially with the over dose of empire praising. It also borders on Antisemitism and racism with the natives almost relegated inferior. But one has to keep the time and philosophies of the time and judge his books. Stalky and Co may not be compared to other boarding school sagas like “Tom Brown School Days” but has a charm on its own.