Raman Settles the Quarrel Between the King and the Queen

he palace of King Krishnadevaraya was unusually tense. The king and Queen Thirumalambal were at odds, and the harem had turned into a place of silence. For weeks, the king had avoided speaking to the queen, refusing to visit her chambers.

In her despair, the queen approached Tenali Raman, the witty court jester known for his wisdom. “Raman, you must help me mend this quarrel with the king. I can no longer bear his anger,” she pleaded. Raman agreed and asked her to recount the incident that led to their disagreement.

The queen explained, “The king wrote a poem with random words like the sun, moon, and stars strung together. It made no sense, yet he wished to recite it to his ministers. But they all cleverly avoided him. Disappointed, he came to the harem at midnight. Exhausted from sleepless nights, I yawned while he was reciting. He mistook my yawning for disrespect and left in anger. Since then, he hasn’t spoken to me.”

Raman assured her, “I will bring peace to your relationship.”

Raman’s Plan

The next day, while the durbar discussed agricultural improvements, Raman saw his opportunity. He approached the king with a plate of paddy seeds and claimed, “These seeds can yield three times more than usual if sown properly.”

Intrigued, the king asked, “What is special about these seeds?”

Raman replied, “The yield depends on the person who sows them. The person, male or female, must not yawn while sowing.”

The king, confused, asked, “But who in this world does not yawn?” As he said this, he yawned.

Raman smiled and said, “Exactly, Your Majesty. Yawning is natural, and even kings and queens yawn. Misunderstandings can arise when we forget this fact.”

The Reconciliation

The king immediately recalled the incident with the queen and realized his error. That very night, he visited the harem, apologized to the queen, and reconciled. Pleased with Raman’s intervention, the royal couple presented him with valuable gifts.