Thottuva Tales of an Ox, an Elephant and a River  (English, Paperback, Johny Chengalan)

Buffaloes and oxen normally do not lock horns. What would be the outcome if they do? The contest would be a short-lived affair resulting in the victory of the stronger buffalo. This popular notion is challenged by a feeble male calf on the verge of death. Under the loving care of a cattle-loving household, the calf grows into a beautiful and strong ox. He takes on several hitherto unbeaten heroes to become the undisputed champion among the oxen of the locality. He then dares to challenge the supremacy of a buffalo. Will the ox merge victorious in this contest? Ayyappankutty, a tame elephant gone berserk, becomes a threat to life and property in the hamlet of Thottuva. He wreaks havoc on the south bank of the river Periyar in Kerala for nearly a week. The Travancore Maharaja deputes his sharp-shooting police officer to account for the menacing beast. A diminutive mahout has a different plan. Both converge in Thottuva on the same day. Will Ayyappankutty fall to the bullets of Veeran Mudaliar? Will the courageous mahout bring him into submission and save his life? River Periyar’s magnificent sandbank in Thottuva is ravaged by the sand mining unions with the government agencies remaining mute spectators. Rivalry among the unions affects normal life. While the riverbed sinks by several metres due to both lawful and unlawful sand mining, the vice of liquor addiction overpowers several young men, disrupting their family life. The protagonist, Jivan, a silent and innocent teetotaller, gradually takes to drinking with very dangerous consequences!