Under the great plum tree

Longlisted in UKLA Book Award! An unlikely friendship between Miss Bandari and Mr Magarmach forms when the pair meet under the great plum tree, deep in the heart of India.

Mr Magarmach is old and his hunting days are over but Miss Bandari loves hearing his stories as they munch plums together.

One day their friendship is tested but with courage, trust and forgiveness they discover that living happily together tastes just as sweet as Miss Bandari's golden plums. The story of the monkey and the crocodile is a fable from the Panchatantra, an ancient Indian collection of animal fables dated to 300 BCE.

But it's a tale from around the world and versions can be found in Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, China, Japan and the Caribbean.