Tenali Raman Teaches a Greedy Moneylender a Lesson

In the prosperous kingdom of Vijayanagaram, there was a cunning moneylender named Ratnachandran. Known for charging exorbitant interest rates of 50%, he exploited the villagers who were already struggling to make ends meet. While most moneylenders charged reasonable rates of 10-15%, Ratnachandran’s greed had no bounds. Raman, ever the clever one, decided to teach him a lesson.

The Borrowing Trick

Raman, through his friend Yogayya, borrowed five copper plates from Ratnachandran. A few days later, Yogayya returned the plates along with five small utensils.

Ratnachandran, curious, asked, “What are these small utensils?”

Yogayya, with a straight face, replied, “These were delivered along with the plates.”

The greedy moneylender, eager for more, accepted the utensils, thinking they were part of the deal. “Next time, don’t forget to include the babies,” he said, unknowingly playing into Raman’s plan.

The Gold Plate Deception

A week later, Raman sent Yogayya to borrow two gold plates from Ratnachandran. This time, Ratnachandran, expecting the usual deal, eagerly handed over the plates, reminding Yogayya, “Make sure to return the baby plates.”

Raman, however, melted the gold plates and distributed the gold to those who had suffered under Ratnachandran’s high-interest loans.

The Confrontation

When Ratnachandran demanded the gold plates and the “babies,” Yogayya informed him with feigned sorrow, “The mother plates and their babies died during delivery.”

Outraged, Ratnachandran rushed to the king to complain. Raman explained everything to the king and revealed Ratnachandran’s deceitful and greedy ways. The king, realizing the truth, ordered Ratnachandran’s arrest for his exploitation of the people.

Moral:

Greed blinds even the wisest, and those who exploit others often fall into their own traps.