GAY-NECK The Story of A Pigeon By Dhan Gopal Mukerji Illustrated by Boris Artzybasheff New York E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc. Copyright, 1927 By E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY _All rights reserved_ _First Printing_ _July, 1927_ _Fifth Printing_ _Dec., 1927_ _Tenth Printing_ _May, 1928_ _Fifteenth Printing_ _Oct., 1928_ _Seventeenth Printing_ _Jan., 1929_ _Eighteenth Printing_ _June, 1929_ _Nineteenth Printing_ _Nov., 1929_ _Twentieth Printing_ _Nov., 1929_ _Printed in the United States of America_ _This book was awarded the John Newbery Medal by the Children's Librarians' Section of the American Library Association, for the most distinguished contribution to American Children's literature during the year 1927._ By the same author CASTE AND OUTCAST MY BROTHER'S FACE THE SECRET LISTENERS OF THE EAST THE FACE OF SILENCE _Stories for Children_ KARI THE ELEPHANT JUNGLE BEASTS AND MEN HARI THE JUNGLE LAD GAY-NECK (The Story of a Pigeon) Published by E. P. DUTTON & CO., INC. TO Suresh Chandra Banerji, Esq. DEAR SURESH: Since Gay-Neck needs a protector I thought of you for several reasons. First of all being a poet, an observer of nature, and a traveller, you would be able to protect the book from being condemned. In fact, there is no one who can do it as well as yourself. You know the country where Gay-Neck grew. You are versed in the lore of birds. For a pigeon, life is a repetition of two incidents: namely, quest of food and avoidance of attacks by its enemies. If the hero of the present book repeats his escapes from attacks by hawks, it is because that is the sort of mishap that becomes chronic in the case of pigeons. Now as to my sources, you well know that they are too numerous to be mentioned here. Many hunters, poets like yourself, and books in many languages have helped me to write Gay-Neck. And if you will permit it, I hope to discharge at least a part of my debt by dedicating this book to one of my sources--yourself. I remain most faithfully yours, DHAN GOPAL. CONTENTS PART I