Tenali Raman Outsmarts Again

The aftermath of the fake monk’s demise led to unintended consequences. Tenali Raman, despite his innocence in the monk’s death, found himself on trial once again. The court declared him guilty, and King Krishnadevaraya, swayed by the arguments, sentenced him to an unusual execution.

Raman was to be buried in a pit with only his head exposed, and an elephant would then trample him to death. The grim sentence was to be carried out immediately. Soldiers escorted Raman to the site, dug a pit, and buried him up to his neck. Leaving him there, they departed briefly to fetch the execution elephant.

As fate would have it, a hunchbacked washerman happened to pass by the scene. Curious, he stopped and asked, “Why are you buried in the ground like this?”

Raman, always quick-witted, replied with a mischievous smile, “I’m curing my back! I had a terrible hunch like yours, but standing like this is said to straighten it.”

The washerman, desperate to rid himself of his hunch, eagerly asked, “Will this really work for me too?”

Raman nodded convincingly, “Of course! But first, you’ll need to dig me out to see how it’s cured me.”

The washerman quickly uncovered Raman. Observing Raman’s straight back, he was overjoyed and climbed into the pit himself. Raman obligingly covered the washerman up to his neck with mud, thanked him, and left the scene.

Moments later, the soldiers returned with the elephant. Unaware of the switch, they proceeded with the execution, and the unfortunate washerman met a tragic end.

Raman returned home, safe and sound, his wit having saved him yet again.

Moral of the Story:
Quick thinking and cleverness can turn even the direst situations to your advantage. However, the blind pursuit of remedies without understanding their implications can lead to disastrous consequences.