Tenali Ramalinga's Royal Entry

Sri Krishna Devaraya had frequent visits to Tenali Ramalinga Stories the jails. In one such visits, he happened to hear from two thieves that prayed for the remission of their term in jail. Their plea was that they had the art of stealing, which they would relinquish once for all. The king knew that stealing was an art among the sixty-four arts in vogue, and he wanted to test their art.

The king asked them to steal from Tenali Ramlingam’s house that night and to come back. Then he would immediately release them. However, he cautioned them not to hurt the in mates, and not to resort to a direct theft.

Thereby, the two thieves went to Tenali Ramalingam’s house that night to steal and hid beneath a cluster of beans nearer the well in the backyard. Noticing them, Ramalingam woke up his wife and said to her loudly:

"There is a rumour that some thieves escaped from the prison, and the whole town has been panicky. Let us hide our valuables at a safe place. "So saying, he took his wife to the backyard. The two thieves found them carrying a big bundle, and dropping it into the well with a thud. They thought the bundle should be full of the valuables.

But the thieves were wrong. Ramalingam and his wife had already hid their valuables in a secret place, and they put stones in parcel and put it into the well, and came back to their house. They started pretending morning as if they were asleep.

Slowly the thieves went to the well. One was watching near the well, and the other got into it. The man in the well came out and said:

"This well is full of water. We should draw some of it and then only I can trace the bundle."

Thereby, both started removing water from the well. It took a long time for them to decrease its water level for it was full of water. While the thieves were engaged in drawing water from the well, Ramalingam was engaged in the work of canalising water to the plants in the Kitchen garden. They didn’t see Ramalingam doing this in the dark of the night.

At last, one of the thieves traced the bundle, and brought it from the well. Both opened it and found stones. They were in despair for their labour was all lost.

Finding the water yet to feed two more plants, Tenali Ramalingam pleaded:

"My dear ones, your virtue is my privilege, kindly let these last two plants be bed with water, and do me a favour."

Hearing these words, the two thieves ran to their heals. Their art has no effect before the presence of mind of Tenali Ramalinga Kavi.