Once upon a time, in the grand court of King Krishnadevaraya, a curious incident took place that had everyone puzzled—except for the clever Tenali Rama.
One hot afternoon, as the king sat on his throne holding a court session, a mischievous monkey suddenly jumped into the hall and started creating chaos. The monkey swung from chandeliers, grabbed fruit from the royal platter, and even snatched the king’s turban!
The courtiers tried to catch the monkey, but it was too quick and nimble. The king was upset. “Who can catch this monkey and bring it under control? If no one can, I shall give my royal ring as a reward!”
Many guards and ministers rushed but failed. Meanwhile, Tenali Rama, smiling quietly at the side, requested permission to try.
The king, curious, nodded. Tenali Rama slowly approached the monkey, talking gently and calmly. He pulled out a small pouch from his robe and showed it to the monkey. Inside was some delicious bananas.
The monkey, tempted, stopped its mischief and cautiously took a banana. Tenali Rama offered the monkey more bananas, slowly leading it towards a cage prepared nearby.
In no time, the monkey happily entered the cage, munching on bananas. The court cheered!
King Krishnadevaraya laughed heartily, “Tenali, your cleverness is unmatched! You didn’t fight the monkey but used kindness and patience to solve the problem.”
Tenali Rama bowed and said, “Great King, sometimes the smartest way is not through force but understanding and calmness.”
The king gave Tenali Rama the royal ring, praising his wisdom and wit.
And from that day on, the story of how Tenali Rama tamed the royal monkey with just a bunch of bananas became a favorite tale in the kingdom.
