A vibrant and deliciously amusing suspenseful story set in India about food and gardening, anticipation, and generosity.



Every morning, Jiva works in his garden until the sun turns as red as a bride’s sari. He plants peas and beans, potatoes and tomatoes, eggplants and okra in his vegetable patch. While his friend Ruvji admires his plants Jiva sings,



“Plump peas, sweet peas,
Lined-up-in-the-shell peas.
Peas to munch, peas to crunch
I want a feast of peas for lunch!”



But each time Jiva is ready to pick the peas for his feast, they’re already gone. He tries making a scarecrow and a fence, but it’s no use. Who might have taken them this time?