Plain Tales from the Hills.

These stories come from Kipling's time as a reporter in British India. They follow the British community that escaped the summer heat in places like Simla. Officials, army officers, and their wives fill the pages. The narratives cover work at government desks, evenings at social gatherings, and occasional trips into nearby hills. Kipling notes the small conflicts and habits that shaped their isolated world. Some pieces examine relations between the British and local people. Others stay within the European circle. The book gathers pieces first printed in Indian newspapers of the period.