Translated from the original Bengali poem by Rabindranath Tagore, this illustrated children’s book introduces young readers to a comical tale of cleverness
A panel depicting King Habu and the tanner. Illustrations courtesy/Niyogi Books 2025
Who knew the Bard of Bengal wrote funny children’s stories too? The Invention of Shoe (Niyogi Books) is a children’s book, translated into English from the satirical Bengali poem by Rabindranath Tagore, originally titled Juta Abishkar. Translated by Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee, and illustrated by Sekhar Mukherjee, it reimagines the invention of shoes through the humorous story of King Habu, who demands the scholars in his kingdom find a solution to the problem of the Earth’s dust touching his feet.
Rabindranath Tagore. Pic courtesy/Wikimedia Commons
The courtiers, led by the scrupulous Minister Gabu, scramble to come up with solutions that are all larger-than-life and prove ineffective, while counter arguments fail to change the pettish king’s mind. These ‘solutions’ include sweeping all the dust into disappearance, until there is a storm of dust everywhere, and pouring water to get rid of dust, until it merely transforms into mud and slime, water grows scarce, aquatic life perishes, and a flu epidemic breaks out. Other propositions such as covering the entire Earth with carpets are impossible, while the idea of confining Habu to a room to avoid him getting dusty, is swiftly rejected by the king himself.
Tagore’s narrative premise is rather whimsical, to the point of being comically ridiculous at times, but carries a deeper message than meets the eye. Men of great learning and knowledge in the court struggle to come up with a practical solution to a seemingly impractical demand, while Habu, the figure of power and authority, is seen merely complaining but offering no help. Amidst this self-inflicted catastrophe enters a tanner, who is the chief of the cobblers.
All of the ideas proposed by Minister Gabu and the scholars of the kingdom fail comically, but the tanner’s down-to-earth thinking, over the courtiers’ grander ideas, ultimately saves the day
Though the commoner is summoned after someone suggests covering the earth in leather, he suggests a simple solution — why not cover the king’s feet, instead of covering the Earth? Thus, Tagore has the cobbler craft Habu a pair of shoes. What stands out for us is that the most obvious answer is often the best. It is Tagore saying to the reader that great innovations often arise through the most ordinary demands, and are often found not through great scholarship, but common sense. The satire lies in the thinly-veiled mockery of not only the courtiers’ incompetence and overthinking, but of Habu’s demands that the world adjust to his desire, instead of the other way round. Remarkably, it is an amusing commentary on power dynamics.
Available Leading bookstores and e-stores
Cost Rs 250
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