Tenali Raman’s Sweet Revenge on the King

King Krishnadevaraya had a fondness for a special type of sugar crystal, carefully prepared and dried in the palace courtyard for his use. One day, while inspecting the drying process, Tenali Raman happened to walk by and, noticing the sparkling crystals, asked the king, “What is this, my lord?”

The king, in a playful mood, decided to trick the witty Raman. “Oh, this?” he said nonchalantly, “It’s just sand.”

Raman raised an eyebrow, sensing mischief, but said nothing. The king, confident that his jest had worked, elaborated further, “It’s a very special kind of sand, not the ordinary kind you see every day.”

Raman nodded thoughtfully and walked away without a word. Amused, the king went to the harem and shared the incident with the queens. They all burst into laughter, convinced that Raman had been successfully fooled.

However, later that day, Raman returned to the courtyard with his young son. Without hesitation, the two began eating the sugar crystals, munching with apparent relish. The king, returning from his chambers, was shocked to see this scene.

“Raman! What are you doing? That is my sugar!” he exclaimed.

Raman, unfazed, looked up and replied, “Oh, my lord, our dearest cow has died today. We were heartbroken, and to console ourselves, we thought we’d eat some of this ‘special sand’ you spoke of. It seems to bring comfort in difficult times.”

The king was taken aback but couldn’t help laughing at Raman’s clever comeback. “You truly are unmatched, Raman. You’ve turned my trick against me yet again.”

Still laughing, the king ordered his servants to gather the remaining sugar and store it safely, resolving never to try such pranks on Raman again.

Moral of the Story:
No one can outwit a truly clever mind; even the sharpest tricksters are no match for wisdom and quick thinking.