Monday, May 25, 2020

Wit and Humour: Tenali Raman and the Golden Mangoes…

Hi there!! Today's story is about the witty Tenali Raman, and how he saved King Krishnadeva Raya (I've written a few posts about him!! Check them out!!) from going bankrupt!! This story is a favourite of my sister's, who is a big fan of Tenali Raman. This story is sure to make little children crack up in laughter. Let's get on with the story…

One day, Krishnadeva Raya's mother, the Queen Mother of the Vijayanagar Empire, fell seriously ill. She was old and frail, and the medicines the royal doctors gave her had no effect. Soon, they told the King, "Your Highness, there are no options. The Queen Mother will not survive. We are very sorry." Krishnadeva Raya wailed in sorrow. His mother, who grew up with him, was going to go.
Time and again, the King paced the corridors of the palace pensively and restlessly. He waited for his frail mother to open her eyes and acknowledge his presence. She had closed her eyes and gone into a coma. The King pleaded the royal doctors to do something, but they gave him the same answer. The Queen Mother wouldn't be able to come back.
One morning, however, the Queen Mother sent for Krishnadeva Raya. He was in shock!! The very anxious King at once hurried to her bedroom.
Seeing the King run to the Queen Mother's room, the attendant bowed and vanished from the room, leaving mother and son alone.
The King ran in and saw his mother, lying on her bed in pain. Her eyes were closed. Krishnadeva Raya walked up to her head, softening her sheets with his hands. He knelt next to her and brushed his hand through her tousled hair. "Pranam, Mathe. How are you doing? Are you feeling better?" The Queen Mother turned her head and whispered to her son, "Krishnadeva… Krishnadeva… I am approaching Death's door. I have one wish. I want to relish a juicy mango before I depart from this world. Please… Please give me a mango…" Krishnadeva Raya whispered back, "Surely, Mathe.
Krishnadeva Raya bolted out into the army barracks and shouted, "Mangoes!!! The Queen Mother needs mangoes!!! BRING ME SOME MANGOES!!!!!! NOW!!!"A mango was all his mother wanted. But summer had just begun. It would be a while for the luscious mangoes to hit the market or even hang from the trees like golden balls!! The king immediately deployed soldiers to scan through the fields and bring a basket full of best quality of available mangoes. The soldiers plunged into action, galloping on their horses, scouring the grooves, grabbing mangoes and eventually returned to the royal palace. But alas!! Just before the soldiers could place the basket full of mangoes before their Queen Mother, she breathed her last.

Krishnadeva Raya was distraught. He couldn't live with himself. How on Earth would he feel the satisfaction of pleasing his mother's soul? Then, he consulted Rajguru, his personal advisor and royal priest. Krishnadeva Raya pleaded him, "Rajguruji, my mother craved a mango before she died. Alas!! We couldn't bring one in time. How can I please her soul? How, Rajguruji?" Rajguru saw this as an opportunity to make himself and some other rich!! He knew that Krishnadeva Raya was a very gullible king, and whatever he said, the king would follow!! So, he hatched a devious plan to rob the king in broad daylight, " Charity to the needy was a cause, very dear to your mother’s heart. Why don't we craft mangoes out of gold and distribute them to the worthy Brahmins of our kingdom?"
News spread like wildfire and thousands, no, MILLIONS flocked to the capital to receive the golden mangoes given in the memory of the late Queen Mother. Soon, it was the greedy and not only the needy that came to get a shining golden mango.
Soon, Krishnadeva Raya's gold reserve began to deplete!! He lost a lot, A LOT of gold every day. The Brahmins would come and take most of the King's gold. Even the Rajguru came, disguised as a Brahmin, to take a gold mango. But, who was to tell the gullible king that his gold was diminishing? Well, it was none other than Tenali Raman!!
Raman saw through the Rajguru's plan and most others' too. He got to know that Rajguru had called some of his henchmen to accept some gold mangoes. They were to dress up as Brahmins. But, they were to hand some over to the Rajguru, in exchange for different ornaments.

When the fake Brahmins arrived at the palace, Raman hid behind a small pillar outside of the palace. As soon as the fake Brahmins reached the King, Raman ran into the palace, pretending to cry. His acting was enough to convince the King, "O King, WAAH!!! My mother is gone!! I haven't been able to fulfil her last wish!! WAAH!!!" The King walked to Raman and embraced him, "O Raman, I am deeply sorry. We are now partners in sorrow," said the King. Rajguru, who was standing next to the false Brahmins, suggested, " Why don't you give these brahmins some gol- errr - something that might please your late mother's soul, Raman?" Raman bowed down to the Rajguru and called him and his so-called Brahmins outside into the royal courtyard, where a large fire had been lit. Two soldiers sat next to the fire, heating up large iron rods. They looked very, VERY hot. Rajguru asked, "Raman, what is the meaning of this?!" Raman just ushered him forward, close to the flame. He asked Rajguru, "Please close your eyes. Your gift is coming," Rajguru eagerly closed his eyes, thinking about the treasure that lay ahead of him. But, Raman quickly took the rod from the soldiers and walked to Rajguru, who didn't suspect anything. He went behind him and PHATT!!!! Tusssssss!!!!!!! Raman slapped the flaming hot, iron rod right onto Rajguru's butt!! Rajguru howled in pain, as he ran around and around, trying to avoid the ghastly touch of the iron rod. He already had a burning scald on his rump and he didn't want another!! Soon, Raman had scalded all of the so-called Brahmins on their butts!! There were deep scars in the fake Brahmins' bottoms, but the deepest butt-cuts of all were Rajguru's!! He went running into the court, pleading Krishnadeva Raya, "O King!!! Save me!!! SAVE ME FROM RAMAN!!!!!!" Krishnadeva Raya was shocked when Rajguru showed him his burnt bottom. "RAMAN!!!! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!?!?!" Raman stepped forward with the rod in his hand and proclaimed, "My King, my mother died with a horrible chronic disease. She couldn't bear the pain. So, she asked me to hit her with a hot iron rod, because she didn't want to feel the grievous pain. But, she succumbed before I could heat up the rod! I am only fulfilling my mother's wish now, My King!!" Rajguru stared at the King, "But-But-But what about my BUTT?!?!" 

Krishandeva Raya understood that Raman hadn't indeed lost his mother, he was just trying to teach the Rajguru and his associates a lesson. "Oh, what a fool I've been!! Raman, for your sheer wit, I award you with a bag of gold coins!!"
Thus, Tenali Raman saved the King from bankruptcy and stopped Rajguru from stealing the King's money!!!

Thanks for reading Tenali Raman and the Golden Mangoes!!! Please type your email in the box above the followers and click the blue button to subscribe to my blog!!! Happy Reading!!!

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