Tenali Raman’s Clever Cat Trick Saves the Day

Once, the Vijayanagaram kingdom faced a severe rat infestation. To combat the menace, the king ordered the distribution of cats to every household and allocated money for their milk. Among the recipients was Tenali Raman, who took the opportunity to solve his household issues cleverly.

Upon reaching home with the kitten, Raman told his wife, “This money can be better used to buy milk for our son rather than the cat. After all, even humans here grow strong without milk!” His wife, skeptical, said, “But the cat will steal the milk.”

Raman smiled and replied, “Leave that to me.” He placed a plate of hot, steaming milk in front of the kitten and carefully dipped its lips in it. The kitten, startled by the burning sensation, immediately associated milk with pain. From that moment, the cat avoided milk entirely, even running away whenever it was offered.

When the king ordered the presentation of all the cats at the durbar two weeks later, Raman’s cat stood out—not for its health but its scrawny appearance. The king asked, “Raman, why is your cat so weak? Did you not give it milk as instructed?”

Raman replied, “Oh Lord, when humans are struggling for milk, who would bother feeding it to a cat?”

The king grew suspicious and challenged, “If your cat does not drink milk, I will reward you with 100 gold coins. But if it drinks milk, you will be punished with 100 lashes. Do you accept?”

Raman agreed, and a plate of milk was placed before his cat. True to its training, the cat bolted at the sight of the milk, avoiding it entirely. The court was amazed, and the king burst into laughter as Raman revealed his ingenious trick.

The king, impressed with Raman’s wit and practicality, awarded him 100 gold coins and praised his cleverness.

Moral of the Story:
With wit and creativity, even the most challenging situations can be resolved effectively.