The Jester And The Thieves
India/Hindu
As in Europe, buffoons as well as magicians enjoyed an honoured position at court. Probably the most famous of them in Tenali Raman, court jester to King Krishnadeva Raya (1509-29) of Hampi or Vijayanagar. Raman was a country lad, and one day prayed to the many-headed goddess Durga to grant him a boon. When she appeared, he began to laugh, and she indignantly asked him why. He answered that when he had a cold he could not stem the catarrh, so how did she cope, seeing that she had so many noses? The goddess was compelled to laugh, and offered Raman two alternatives: the milk of knowledge or the curds of wealth. Before she could stop him, he snatched both and drank them down. He travelled to the city of Hampi, where he tried to persuade the Rajaguru, the Royal Preceptor, to help him be admitted to court. The guru flatly refused, but one day Raman saw him bathing and hid his clothes. He refused to return them unless the guru carried him into the palace on his back. The guru was forced to agree and carried Raman into the palace, where he became court jester.
Returning home one night, Raman saw thieves lurking near his house, and also remembered that he had still to irrigate his fields. He loudly told his wife that they must hide their valuables down the well. They placed her grinding-stone in the tin trunk and with great effort carried it outdoors and threw it into the well. Seeing this, the foolish thieves were tricked into raising all the water from the well in their eagerness to lay hands on the trunk, and in the process irrigated all Raman's fields. He took pity on them at dawn and came out and sarcastically thanked them.
On another occasion, the King was to witness a special dance-drama and strictly instructed his guards to admit no one, in case the show be disturbed. Finding he way into court barred, Raman told two guards in succession that he was on his way to receive a special present from the King, and promised them half of whatever he was given if they let him in. They allowed him to pass, and once in the King's presence Raman began to belabour the chief actor with a stick. Enraged, the King ordered Raman a hundred lashes. The jester explained that he had and agreement with the guards outside that they should each receive half of whatever the King awarded him. The King was pleased that Raman had exposed the dishonesty of the guards. He rewarded Raman and awarded the guards fifty lashes each.
Legends Of The World
Edited by
Richard Cavendish
ISBN 1-56619-462-8
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