An old story which used to be told by an Ayah, an Indian nursemaid, to the children she looked after The Ayah knew it by heart and had told it so often that it came out exactly word for word as if she were wound up If anyone interrupted her she had to go back to the beginning and start again The children never minded Chattis are earthenware pots huge ones for storing grain and rice middlesized ones for carrying water tiny ones for tea and toddy