COMPETITION: LITERALLY LOST: 17

The following excerpt has been taken from a classic work of travel literature. Readers are invited to tell us: a) where is the action taking place? b) who is the author? Blackwell's Bookshops will supply pounds 30-worth of book tokens each week to the first correct answer out of the hat. Answers on a postcard to: Literally Lost, 'Independent on Sunday', 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5DL. Usual Newspaper Publishing competition rules apply. Entries to arrive by Thursday 22 January.

The little room quickly filled up with curious villagers and at first everybody seemed well-disposed towards us. Then a tall, arrogant, handsome young mullah arrived and treated us with calculated rudeness. While he sat by the stove we were ignored, but the moment he went everyone relaxed and our young hostess brought us four hot chapattis from the kitchen across the yard where granny was preparing supper. By the time we had wolfed these, with a second kettle of tea, Rachel was almost asleep on her feet; but there was no room to bed her down until our host, five of his friends and his wife had used the prayer-mat spread in the centre of the floor. When I unrolled her flea-bag the two other children were laid to rest beside her, wrapped in unspeakable shreds of old quilts. Meanwhile, business was brisk in the 'shop' - a home-made cupboard some six feet high and three feet wide containing small amounts of dust tea, rock salt, goats' milk butter, sugar, cigarettes, multi-coloured glass bangles and soap.

The young couple's supper was brought from the kitchen by granny; it consisted of a small bowl of nasty-looking grey liquid, with four very thin chapattis for Him and two for Her. Then it was bedtime (8.30) so our hostess lay on the floor between the children and fed the year-old girl while her husband rolled himself in the only warm quilt and settled down on a narrow charpoy.

Literally Lost 16

The extract came from "The Bronski House" by Philip Marsden. The action took place in Belarus. The winner was Mr E French, London.