Flora Annie Steel

The Adventures of Akbar Flora Annie Steel

With the exception of Tumbu the dog and Down the cat, the chief characters really lived and took part in the childhood adventures of little Prince Akbar, later a sixteenth century Indian emperor. Indian customs and manners are vividly portrayed. He was an odd fellow, all long limbs and broad smiles, who, when his time arrived, shambled forward, cast himself in lowliest reverence full length on the ground and blubbered out his delight--now that the princely baby could really eat--at being able to supply all sorts of toothsome stews full of onions and green ginger, to say nothing of watermelons and sugar cane. These things, strange to say, being to little Indian children very much what chocolate creams and toffee are to English ones. Flora Annie Steel (1847-1929) was an English writer who lived in British India for 22 years. She was noted especially for writing books set in India or otherwise connected with it. Flora Annie Steel was interested in relating to all classes of Indian society. The birth of her daughter gave her a chance to interact with local women and learn their language. She encouraged the production of local handicrafts and collected folk-tales, a collection of which she published in 1894. Her interest in schools and the education of women gave her a special insight into native life and character. A year before leaving India, she coauthored and published The Complete Indian Housekeeper, giving detailed directions to European women on all aspects of household management in India.