I have read all the collections of Shonku stories, translated into English and published by Puffin, and this final collection was the weakest. Besides two good stories, the rest of the 7 stories were pretty average. I really enjoy whatever Satyajit Ray writes and I am always in awe of his storytelling skills. This collection lacked a lot of Ray's magic. I feel that the stories in this collection were too underdeveloped and rushed. They were quite 'short' too when I compare them with other Shonku stories I read earlier. The two stories I enjoyed were: 'Shonku and the Primordial Man' and 'The Tree with Golden Leaves,' which was the longest story in the collection and the best.