Tenali Raman short stories

Story No. 1 - Tricksters humbled


Four travellers once asked an old woman to keep a little bundle for them and told her to give it back only when all four were present.
One of them, however, returned alone and tricked her into giving him the bundle.
Later the other three came to collect the bundle. She explained she had given it to the man who had come earlier. They were very angry and took her to court. Maryada Raman, the judge listened to their complaint.
"So, you see, Sir, she has to pay us compensation now!" the three cried. "But she will give you the bundle itself," said Maryada Raman, and pausing a little, he added, "provided all four of you are present."
There was laughter in the court and the three men realised that they had lost the case.

Story No. 2 - The Key to heaven

The villagers were delighted. A sadhu who performed miracles, had come to their village. Every morning and evening they would gather at the temple with specially prepared delicacies as offerings to the sadhu.
When Tenali Raman heard of this, he smelt a rat. He went to the temple and sat near the holy man. The sadhu began reciting shlokas. To Raman’s surprise, he went on repeating the same shloka over and over again.
Raman realised that he was a fraud. Suddenly, he leaned forward and plucked a strand of hair from the sadhu’s beard.
“I have the key to Heaven!” he shouted triumphantly. The villagers looked startled.
“This sadhu is so great that if I keep the hair from his beard with me, I will be blessed forever!” said Raman.
Immediately there was a scramble as the villagers rushed to get hold of a hair from the sadhu’s beard. The frightened sadhu ran for his life and was never heard of again.

Story no. 3, Raman's List of Fools

One day a horse trader- a foreigner, came to the court of Krishnadeva Raya and told him he had some fine horses for sale. The emperor offered to buy them. The man took an advance of 5000 gold coins and promising to return with the horses in two days, went away. That evening Krishnadeva Raya saw Raman writing on a sheet of paper.
"What are you writing?" he asked.
"I'm making a list of the greatest fools in the empire," said Raman.
The emperor was astonished to see his own name on the top of the list.
"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded. "You think I am a fool!"
"Any man who would give 5000 gold coins to a stranger and expect him to return, is a fool!" replied Raman.
"Oh, so that's what is troubling you," said the emperor. "You think the man won't return. What if he does?"
"In that case," said Raman with a twinkle in his eye, "I'll scratch out your name and put his there."