174. Tenalirama and the Queen



King Krishnadevaraya recited his poem for the queen, and she yawned.
"I'll never forgive you!" the king shouted.
The queen asked Tenalirama for help.
The next day, the king and his court discussed the drought afflicting the kingdom.
"I have a solution!" shouted Tenalirama, holding up a sack of seeds. "This wheat grows without any rain at all."
"Wonderful!" shouted the king happily.
"The only condition," Tenalirama said, "is that whoever plants the seed must have never yawned in his life. Not once. Ever."
The king was bewildered, but then he understood. "I will forgive the queen," he said, smiling.

Inspired byThe Wit of Tenali Raman by Devika Rangachari
Notes: This story is on p. 39 of the book. Compare the Buddhist parable about the grieving Kisagotami; the Buddha told her to look for a household where no one had died. You can find out more about that story at Wikipedia.


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