Nandini Nayar – författare

When was the last time the MIGHTY tiger roamed freely under the open sky?

What is the SLEEK leopard from sunny India doing in FREEZING England?

How will the HUGE rhinoceros stay in a SMALL, cramped cage?

And why, oh why, is the ENORMOUS elephant eating tiny BUNS in the zoo?

Leopards and cheetahs, bears and antelopes, monkeys and deer...it''s the same SORRY tale. These animals from India have been CAGED for the amusement of people - to be prodded and poked and teased!

It''s upsetting. It''s shocking. It''s breaking our hearts.

What are we to DO?

Well, we have written letters - a whole SHEAF of them - to the owners of menageries and the zoo, asking them to STOP this cruelty NOW. To give the animals the food, the care and the freedom they deserve.

But ARE they reading them?

Are YOU?

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What can a lady in a thin sari do to survive in COLD England?

How will a ship''s crew RETURN home without any money?

When did the young ayah last see her OWN family?

And why, oh why, did the sailor write WET PAINT in a young girl''s diary?

Nannies and sailors taken 4,000 miles away to England to work...it''s the same SORRY tale.

Often ABANDONED, they have to find their own way across the sea, back home to India!

It''s upsetting. It''s shocking. It''s breaking our hearts.

What are we to DO?

Well, here are stories - a whole SHEAF of them about AYAHS in a foreign land and the Indian crew of LASCARS on ships, questioning why the British don''t treat these people kindly. Asking to give them the home, the care and the freedom they deserve.

But is ANYONE listening?

Are YOU?

Suraj and Radha never know when the colourful ''Happiness Train'' will chug into their village, offering them a whole new world of fun and enchantment!''Trains and tracks are evil,'' says Amma, ''they carry people away.'' But this train''s musical whistle, the gorgeous pictures on the coaches, and its promise of faraway, exciting lands -all make Suraj eager to leave his humdrum life and set out on adventures. One day, ignoring Radha''s warnings, he secretly boards the train.Soon Suraj realizes that he and the other runaway boys - Murali, Chhotu and Asad - are being carted away on a dangerous mission. With no hope of escaping, they are close to giving up,when help arrives unexpectedly.Is there a mysterious person on board who can rescue them? How is a raja connected with the train? Has Radha forgotten all about Suraj? And does he finally get what he is looking for? Find out in this unusual story about family, friends, and discovering new routes to happiness and home.