Tenali Ramakrishna stories are like moral stories that teach us ways to deal with life challenges with humour, intelligence, strategy, dharma, and affection.

Once upon a time, in the grand kingdom of Vijayanagara, King Krishnadevaraya decided to enhance his cavalry. He wanted his horses to be strong and healthy to serve the kingdom. To achieve this, the king purchased many fine horses and distributed them among his horsemen. Each horseman was given money and a supply of horse gram to properly nurture and feed their horse. The king also made an exciting announcement, “Whoever nurtures their horse the best will be rewarded with a special prize.”

Among the courtiers was Tenali Ramakrishna, the witty and wise poet known for his cleverness and humor. Hearing the king’s proclamation, Tenali Rama approached Krishnadevaraya and requested, “Your Majesty, may I also take part in this challenge? I would love the opportunity to rear a horse.”

Amused by Tenali’s unusual request, the king agreed. He provided Tenali Rama with a horse and the necessary supplies. Excited about his new task, Tenali took the horse home. But, as usual, Tenali’s approach to the task was quite different.

Tenali Rama built a small enclosure for the horse in his backyard. However, the enclosure was unusual—it had four sturdy walls but no door for the horse to come out. Instead, there was a small opening just large enough for the horse to put its head through. Tenali would feed the horse a meager portion of grass—around 8 to 10 sticks—both in the morning and evening.

The horse, naturally hungry, would eagerly pull the grass from Tenali’s hand and gobble it up in a hurry. Days passed, and the horse grew thinner and weaker. Tenali, however, continued with his peculiar method of feeding.

The Court Scholar’s Jealousy

In the king’s court, there was a scholar named Shastry. Known for his long beard and sharp tongue, Shastry was envious of Tenali Rama’s popularity. When Tenali had expressed his wish to rear a horse, Shastry had laughed at him, mocking his ability to handle such a task.

Fifteen days later, the king called for all the horsemen to bring their horses to the palace so he could inspect them. The horsemen proudly displayed their well-fed and strong horses. But Tenali Rama and his horse were nowhere to be seen. Curious, the king sent a servant to fetch Tenali and his horse.

When the servant arrived at Tenali’s house, Tenali explained, “My Lord, I have tried my best since morning to bring the horse to the court, but it refuses to move. Perhaps Your Majesty can send a strong man to help.”

Hearing this, the king called upon his horsemen to bring the horse. But Tenali stopped them and suggested, “Since the horse is very stubborn, maybe someone knowledgeable, like a scholar, should try. They might succeed where others fail.”

The king turned to Shastry and said, “You are a learned man and skilled in many things. Perhaps you can bring Tenali’s horse to the palace.”

Shastry, eager to prove his superiority, scoffed, “Of course, Your Majesty! It is a simple task. Let us go!”

Accompanied by a few soldiers, Shastry arrived at Tenali’s house. Tenali led him to the small enclosure and pointed at the opening. “Shastry, my horse is shy. You can see it through this opening,” he said.

Shastry peered through the small opening. Inside, the hungry horse saw Shastry’s long beard, which to the starving animal looked like a bundle of dry grass. Without warning, the horse lunged forward and bit down on Shastry’s beard, tugging it fiercely.

Shastry screamed in pain, “Oh, my beard! Help me!” The soldiers rushed to demolish the walls of the enclosure, but the horse refused to let go of Shastry’s beard. Tenali, barely suppressing his laughter, remarked, “Oh dear, Shastry, it seems even a starving horse has found a way to show its strength!”

With great difficulty, the soldiers brought the horse—still holding onto Shastry’s beard—to the palace. The sight of Shastry being dragged by the horse caused everyone in the court, including the king, to burst into laughter.

Finally, the sound of other horses neighing distracted Tenali’s horse, and it released Shastry’s beard. Exhausted and embarrassed, Shastry quickly fled from the court.

When the king examined Tenali’s horse, he was shocked. The animal was frail, weak, and barely able to stand. “Tenali Rama, what have you done? Look at your horse! It is nothing like the others,” the king scolded.

Tenali calmly replied, “Your Majesty, the horse is indeed weak because it was given only a small amount of food. But even in this state, it managed to trouble Shastry. Imagine what it might have done if it had been fed properly!”

The court erupted in laughter again, but the king grew serious. “Tenali, your antics have caused great embarrassment to Shastry. This is not right.”

At that moment, Shastry returned to the court, looking humble. He addressed the king, “Your Majesty, it is not Tenali’s fault. Today, I have learned a valuable lesson. My arrogance made me look down upon Tenali, but he has shown me the importance of humility. From now on, I consider him my teacher.”

Hearing this, Tenali was deeply moved. He embraced Shastry and thanked him for his kind words. The king, pleased by the turn of events, praised Tenali’s wisdom and presented him with valuable gifts.

The Moral of the Story:

Tenali Rama’s cleverness and wit not only entertained the court but also taught an important lesson: arrogance can lead to one’s downfall, and humility is the mark of true wisdom. From that day on, Shastry and Tenali became good friends, and the story of the clever poet and the hungry horse was remembered by all.