Angry River facts for kids

Angry River is a children's book written by the Indian author Ruskin Bond. It was first published in 1972. The book tells a story for young readers and has pictures drawn by Trevor Stubley. It was released in India and England and has been translated into languages like Dutch, French, and Hindi.

The Story of Sita and the River

Angry River is a novel for young people by Ruskin Bond. The story is about a girl named Sita. She lives with her grandparents in a small hut on an island. Their home is simple. One wall of the hut rests against a big rock. The other three walls are made of mud.

Life on the Island

Sita and her grandparents live a quiet life. While her grandfather works outside, Sita and her grandmother take care of things inside the house. One day, Sita's grandmother becomes very sick. Sita's grandfather decides to take her to a hospital in town.

He leaves in his boat with three of his goats. He tells Sita he will be back in a few days. He also warns her about heavy rain. He says the rain might cause a flood. If the water gets too high, Sita must climb the tall peepal tree on the island.

The Flood Comes

Soon, it starts to rain very hard. Sita goes outside and sees that a flood has begun. The water looks like a fast, angry river. She sees different things floating in the water around her.

Sita quickly packs some spices and fish. She also grabs some of her grandmother's things. But she forgets her favorite doll, Mumta. Then, she climbs up the big peepal tree, just as her grandfather told her. A crow joins her on the tree, becoming her companion.

A Journey on the River

Suddenly, the strong rain and wind uproot the tree. The tree floats away on the river with Sita still on it. As she drifts, Sita sees how much trouble the stormy river is causing. She sees the difficulties other living things are facing because of the flood.

The tree then moves into the middle of the river. This makes Sita feel very scared. It is there that a boy named Krishan finds her. He helps her onto his boat. He rows the boat hard to get away from the dangerous middle of the river.

New Friends and New Beginnings

Once they are safe, the boy introduces himself as Krishan. They eat sweet mangoes that were on his boat. Sita had never tasted mangoes so delicious before.

Later, Sita learns that her grandmother has passed away. Sita returns to the island with her grandfather. They plan to build a new house. They will continue their lives, even without her doll Mumta and her grandmother. After some time, Krishan visits Sita. He teaches her how to play the flute he had given her earlier.