Adventures of Devi

The "Adventures Of Devi" series has been written for the reading pleasure of children. As a worthy story book for children the books have to carry a moral lesson. Good deeds and kindness brings reward, evil deeds and wickedness exacts punishment. Many of the great children’s story books we read as youngsters failed to make a clear distinction between the two. Most times the hero is actually rather the villain! This leaves many young minds stimulated but confused and wondering, something child psychologists term as exhibitions of super-ego lacunae.

I have tried to pattern these stories along the style of my father, J.K., a prolific story teller. Fast moving, vivid, crisp, inexhaustive descriptions that leave a lot of room for imaginative speculation. He could thus tell the same story may times over in a different way and each time we children were just as spellbound as at first. (Some of his favorite stories I have compiled in the book: ‘Short Stories Of The Ewe.’)

As usual there is no ambiguity at the end of the story; the evildoer is punished and the good one is rewarded.

In writing these stories, I am greatly indebted to my wife Ama and my brother Kwasi who provided many useful ideas.

I wish all readers happy reading.

"The Land Of The Dragon King was written as the sequel to "A Glimpse Of Paradise" and "Devi And The Flying Sword". This adventure book with its fast changing scenes and vivid descriptions could have filled many volumes but has been compressed into one handy book mainly for the entertainment of young people. It is supposed ay the same time to serve a s an intellectual exercise, on an individual and personal basis. Intended to make young people all over the world view conflicts, war, killing and degradation of the environment in a new perspective.

At present, technological advancement has made it possible for man to cause unprecedented structural destruction, human casualties and profound environmental damage than anyone could have imagined just a few decades ago.

It is rather sad that the history books of today from which we teach our children are lined with rolls of great men, the greatest of whom are great men of nothing but war and destruction. So it is even up to today many tend to think our greatest leaders and politicians are those who are able to galvanize their peoples energy towards building large armies, stockpiling weapons of destruction and who quite often succeed in initiating conflicts with tragic, sometimes worldwide repercussions.

To a lot of young people who live in affluent societies today, war appears to be no more than a game played on computer terminals with joysticks, push buttons and smart bombs. The smarter the weapon, the more accurate and more precise it is able to deliver its payload at its intended target with devastating effect. So war, human casualties and destruction is increasingly being viewed as something very distant and detached from us until suddenly one day the explosion is at our own doorstep and then the smartness of the weapon is no longer that apparent.

For parents who buy this book for their children, it is my hope that the book will serve as a nidus for intellectual rationalization, beginning with our youth so that in the end all of us would start to view and discuss war no longer as a conflict between nations but ultimately as personal and individual tragedies and catastrophes befalling real people and their families.

This story has been set at a period in time, mainly intended so as not to bear resemblance to any modern day country. The various episodes though similar to actual occurrences all over the world even up to this day, are not intended to depict or portray the way of life of any particular people or any country.

Ultimately we can only hope that the children who read this book will strive not to become the next new dragon king of the world.