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The wit of Tenali Ramalingam has an infinite variety: The more we have, the merrier we become. Here we have a story of an endearing beauty to show us how he hit at the pride of others’ so called wit.
Nellore, a prosperous city in Andhra Pradesh with a long history of its own, had been called Simhapuri (a lion’s town), and it was a part of Vijayanagar Empire. In the town, there lived a famous Damsel who had been proud of her wit and wisdom. Her name was Vidyullata (Lightning).
Vidyullata had a poster pasted on the walls of the entrance of her house with the following challenge:
"He who wins me in wit and wisdom, shall be rewarded with a thousand gold coins"
All those that contested miserably failed. None dared to challenge her any more.
One day a woodcutter with a small bundle of firewood came to her doorstep, and sang a loud song:
"Wood, Wood, long-lasting fire in Wood."
"Wood, Wood, easy burning forest wood."
Hearing this, she came out and said, "What is its price?"
The vendor gladly replied, "No, No parting with money. But only with a handful of rice for me."
His demand, she thought, was simple and bucolic. She wanted to offer more than what he asked for.
"Place the fire-wood in my backyard."
Removing his bundle from his head, the vendor insisted:
"A handful of rice only. Nothing less or more."
She then answered: "Agreed." But he said, pointing to the challenge on the board:
If you break your word, you shall have to part with a thousand gold coins, and you have to remove that board."
"What do you mean?" Retorted Vidyullata. "I mean what I say," was his answer.
There ensued a fierce verbal fight on the open street. It gathered the people. No one was able to set-right the quarrel. Soon these two fighters were summoned to the local court. She pleaded that the man was a mad fellow who refused to take, even though she was prepared to give him much more than what he demanded for. The woodcutter clarified his position:
"I mean what I say, my lord, judge me.
I demanded for a handful of rice. I mean I want her to give me the grain of rice if boiled, should be as big as it holds my palm; but not a hand full of rice, as she understood from my words."
Thereby, the judge and the jury were satisfied to pass the verdict in favour of the woodcutter, Vidyullata was equally stunned at the woodcutter’s ambiguity in expression, and accepted her defeat with humility, and he removed his guise.
Lo behold!
The woodcutter was no other than Tenali Ramalingam himself. He came from Vijayanagar on the king’s permission to punish Vidyullata and her vanity.
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