Tenali and the Thieves

Long ago, in the city of Vijayanagara, there lived a clever man named Tenali Rama.

It was a hot summer. The sun was strong, and there was very little rain. Tenali's garden looked dry and tired. The leaves hung low. The flowers looked sleepy.

"Our well is deep," said Tenali's wife. "But pulling up so much water is hard work." Tenali nodded and began to think.

That evening, Tenali sat outside his house. A cool breeze moved the mango leaves. Then he heard a tiny rustle in the bushes. Two thieves were hiding there! They were waiting for dark, to sneak into the house.

Tenali did not shout. He did not run. He just smiled. A clever mind always finds a way.

He went inside and spoke in a big, loud voice. "Dear wife, there are thieves about these days. Let us hide our treasure in the well. Nobody will ever find it there!"

His wife understood at once. Together, they filled an old box with heavy stones. They carried it out, huffing and puffing. Then... SPLASH! Down into the well it went.

The thieves in the bushes grinned. "The treasure is in the well," they whispered. "We will pull out all the water and take it!"

Tenali yawned and went to bed. But first, he quietly opened the little water channel near the well. Now, any water poured out there would run straight to his plants.

The moon rose high. The thieves began to work. Down went the bucket. Up came the water. Splash, splash, all night long.

The water ran along the little channel. It trickled to the roses. It gurgled to the jasmine. It soaked into the roots of the mango tree. Splash, splash, all night long.

Tenali lay on his cot and listened. He turned over and smiled. A clever mind always finds a way.

At dawn, the birds began to sing. The tired thieves pulled up the box at last. They opened it. Stones! Only stones!

Just then, Tenali stepped out, fresh and happy. "Good morning, friends!" he said. "Thank you for watering my garden. It has not looked this green all summer!"

The thieves looked at each other. Their faces turned red. Then they began to laugh, and Tenali laughed too. They folded their hands and said sorry. They promised to find honest work, and off they went.

Tenali looked around his garden. The leaves were shiny. The flowers were wide awake. The wet earth smelled cool and fresh.

"See?" he said to his wife. "Trouble came to our door, and it left as help."