Tenali Raman stories for kids: three short tales of wit

Three short retellings

1. The thieves and the well

One night Tenali heard thieves creeping about his garden and woke his family. "Let us pretend to hide our treasure," he whispered. Loudly enough to be overheard, they lugged a big chest, filled with stones, to the well and tipped it in with a mighty splash. The thieves thought the treasure had been hidden and hauled up bucket after bucket of water to empty the well. By morning the garden was watered, the thieves were tired, and there was no treasure at all. They crept away.

Clever-thinking moral: A calm mind can turn a problem into a plan, and cleverness works better than force.

2. The three dolls

A visitor brought the court three dolls that looked exactly alike and asked which was worth the most. Tenali looked closely and found a tiny hole in each doll's ear. He slid a thin straw into the first. It came out of the other ear. In the second, it came out of the mouth. In the third, it dropped inside and stayed. "The third is best," he said. "The first forgets what it hears, the second repeats it at once, but the third listens and keeps it in the heart."

Clever-thinking moral: Good listening means taking in what you hear and thinking about it, not letting it fly past or passing it on without thought.

3. The brinjal curry

The king once tasted a brinjal curry and declared it the best dish in the world. Tenali agreed warmly and listed its virtues. A few days later the king had the curry again, grew tired of it and complained loudly. Tenali agreed with that too and listed its faults. "Which is it?" asked the king. "I serve you, Your Majesty, not the brinjal," said Tenali, smiling. The king laughed and saw how easily he had been agreed with.

Clever-thinking moral: Think about whether you are being told what is true or only what is pleasant to hear, and keep your own opinion.

Questions to ask, by age

For ages six to eight

• What did the thieves pull up from the well?
• Which doll did Tenali choose, and why?
• What would you add to Tenali's garden plan?

For ages nine and up

• Why did the thieves believe the chest held treasure, and what clues might have told them otherwise?
• Do you agree with Tenali that the third doll is the best listener? Why or why not?
• In the curry story, was Tenali being honest? Is agreeing with everyone good advice?
• If you were telling the stories, which small detail would you change to make them your own?

Try it: the three-dolls listening game

Sit in a circle and whisper a short sentence to one player, such as: the red kite flew over the green hill. That player acts out one of the dolls. The first doll says the sentence has gone straight through and cannot remember it. The second doll shouts it out at once. The third doll waits, repeats it quietly and adds one question about it. Take turns playing each doll, then talk about which kind of listener you want to be.

Where do these stories come from?

The stories of Tenali Raman are folk tales and legends told in many versions across the south of India. He is linked with a king named Krishnadevaraya, but we do not claim the stories record real events, and we have given no dates. The three here are our own wording.

More to explore on Rangooo

Read more Indian folk tales for kids, learn how to share moral stories with children, let the story picker suggest a tale, test what you learned in the moral quiz, or try our guide to Akbar-Birbal stories for kids.

Questions

Are Tenali Raman stories true?

They are folk tales and legends, not history. Tales of Tenali Raman have been told in many versions, so enjoy them as stories rather than as facts.

Who was Tenali Raman in the stories?

In the tales he is a witty adviser and jester at a king's court, known for solving problems with clever ideas and humour.

What can children learn from Tenali Raman stories?

Mostly clever thinking: staying calm, listening well and finding a different way to solve a problem. Ask your child what the idea in each story is.

What is the Hindi name for Tenali Raman?

He is usually called तेनालीराम.