Raman Crashes the Dance Festival

An art festival was in full swing at the durbar of King Krishnadevarayar, with a celebrated Kuchipudi dance troupe performing. The king, knowing Raman’s penchant for turning any event into a spectacle, deliberately kept him in the dark about the program. He even instructed his soldiers to prevent Raman from entering the palace.

However, keeping secrets from Tenali Raman was a futile exercise. Upon discovering the ongoing festival, Raman decided to attend. When stopped by the soldiers, he cleverly twisted the king’s instructions. “The king forbade you from informing me, not from letting me in,” Raman pointed out.

The soldiers still blocked his way. Undeterred, Raman played to their greed. Whispering to each, he said, “If I get in, the king will reward me handsomely, and I’ll split the reward with you.” The soldiers, enticed by the prospect of a reward, allowed Raman to enter.

As Raman strode into the durbar, the king’s face darkened with fury. However, he said nothing and continued watching the performance. The play depicted Lord Krishna’s childhood mischief, including the famous scene of him stealing the clothes of cowherdesses bathing in the river. As the actor playing Krishna enacted this, Raman couldn’t resist.

He suddenly leapt onto the stage, scolding and theatrically reprimanding the actor: “How dare you commit such mischief in front of the king and queen!” Raman even pretended to beat the actor, who, confused and startled, began crying. The scene descended into chaos, forcing the organizers to drop the curtain prematurely.

The abrupt end brought both laughter and relief to the king, who found the program tiresome. Though initially annoyed, the king couldn’t help but marvel at Raman’s ingenuity and humor. As the courtiers erupted in laughter, the king rewarded Raman with gold coins—not for his antics, but for unknowingly sparing everyone from an uninspiring performance.

Moral of the Story:
Quick wit and humor can turn any situation into a memorable one, even when you’re unwelcome.