About the author :
Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of Biritsih descent, who has written several plays, essays, non-fiction acount and many short stories. He was born in State Of Himachal Pradesh and was very closely associated with nature and that's why his stories shows a deep love for nature and people.
Summary of the How Far Is The River :
How Far is The River describes irresistible desire of a young boy, who has never seen the river in his life.
Once in a village in a mountain valley surrendered by woods lived a young boy. There was a river whic flowed through the mountains some miles away from the village. The children of the village had heard about the river.
This young boy of 12 has a irresistible desire to see the river, because he had heard about the rocks, currents and waterfalls. He wasted to touch the flowing water. So one day when his parents we out and knew that they woun't come back home till late in the evening, he decided to go and take a look at river. He took a loaf of bread from his house and started his journey to the river. He took the steep path which went round the mountain and which was frequently used by the wood cutters, mikman, mule drivers etc. It was a lonely and deserted path on his way, he came accross a wood cutter, who was concern about the boy when he expressed his desire to walk 7 miles on his way to the river.
Having crossed the dizzy wind path, he entered into a beautiful valley, where he came accross a grass cutter who had a long knife in her hand. She was dressed in a very traditional way. She absolutely had no idea about the distance to the river and how much time it might take to reach there, having walked for an hour when the boy was sure that he had walked half wayi he saw a boy he was driving a few goats up the path. The boy asked the shepherd or directions to the river and was told what it was just around the hill, the boy began to walk with shepherd. He shared with him the loaf of bread that he had brought with him till his companion had to go another way. He was left alone again with no river in the sight and far away from home, he was loss and discouraged. In the middle of nowhere he waked on the hard, dusty and snowy path passing mud huts and fields.
Suddenlt the silence was broken by the roaring sound of the river. The boy was surpriesd by the sight of the river, which he had longed to see and he run into it till he was ankle deep in water and enjoyed the feel of the water flowing through his toes. Thus with a great determination he could fulfill his desire of seeing and feeling the river.
