Sri Krishnadevaraya was the emperor of Vijayanagara, a kingdom in what is today Andhra Pradesh. Among his eight advisors was Tenali Rama, known for his cleverness and quick thinking. Tenali Rama was not just an advisor but also a court jester, famous for his entertaining stories.
In the emperor’s garden, there were special brinjal plants that produced a rare kind of brinjal. These brinjals were used to make a curry that the emperor loved. Because they were so rare, the garden was heavily guarded, and no one could see the plants without the emperor’s permission.
One day, the emperor hosted a dinner for his advisors, and the delicious brinjal curry was served. Tenali Rama enjoyed it so much that he couldn’t forget its taste. When he got home, he told his wife all about it. She loved brinjal curry too and asked Tenali Rama to bring some brinjals so she could cook the same dish at home.
Tenali Rama knew that stealing brinjals from the emperor’s garden was very risky. The emperor would severely punish anyone caught stealing from his precious plants. Despite this, his wife begged him to get the brinjals secretly.
One night, Tenali Rama jumped over the garden wall and plucked a few brinjals. Fortunately, no one saw him. His wife cooked the brinjals, and the curry turned out to be just as delicious as the one served at the emperor’s dinner.
However, there was a problem. Their son, who was sleeping on the roof after doing his homework, also loved brinjal curry. Tenali Rama was worried that if their son found out and told anyone, they could get caught and punished.
His wife insisted on letting their son taste the curry. So, Tenali Rama came up with a clever plan. He woke up his son by pouring a bucket of water on him, pretending it was raining. The son, thinking it was really raining, suggested they go inside the house for dinner. Once inside, Tenali Rama changed the boy’s clothes and served him the rice and brinjal curry.
The next day, the emperor discovered that some brinjals were missing from his garden. The gardener, who kept track of every vegetable and flower, reported the theft. The emperor was very upset and announced a reward for catching the thief.
Chief advisor Appaji suspected Tenali Rama. He thought only Tenali Rama could be bold enough to steal from the emperor’s garden. Eventually, the emperor called Tenali Rama’s son to find out the truth, thinking the boy would be honest.
The boy was asked what he ate the night before. He said, “Brinjal curry. It was the tastiest I’ve ever eaten.” Appaji and the emperor exchanged triumphant looks, sure they had caught the thief. The emperor then asked the boy about the weather. The boy replied, “It rained heavily last night. I got all wet and had to change my clothes.”
In reality, it hadn’t rained in Vijayanagara for many days. The emperor and Appaji had no choice but to drop their suspicions, thinking the boy was confused.
They apologized to Tenali Rama for suspecting him. Tenali Rama returned home, thankful that his wit had once again saved him. And that’s how Tenali Rama managed to enjoy the stolen brinjal curry with his family!
No comments:
Post a Comment