Tenali and the Invisible Thieves

In the lively town of Vijayanagara, a mysterious thief had been troubling the townsfolk. Every night, valuables disappeared, leaving the people frustrated and frightened. Despite their best efforts, the guards couldn’t catch the culprit.

Desperate for help, the townspeople turned to the clever Tenali Rama.

“Tenali, you must help us!” they pleaded.

Tenali smiled and assured them, “Don’t worry. By tomorrow, the thief will be revealed.”

The next morning, Tenali made an unusual announcement. He gathered the entire town in the village square and brought along a donkey. The animal was tied to a small tent.

“This is no ordinary donkey,” Tenali declared, pointing dramatically. “It’s a magical donkey that can identify a thief. All of you must enter the tent, one by one, and pull the donkey’s tail. If you’re innocent, nothing will happen. But if you’re the thief, the donkey will bray loudly!”

The crowd murmured in amazement and nervousness. One by one, people entered the tent, pulled the donkey’s tail, and stepped out. No sound came from the donkey.

After everyone had gone through, Tenali said, “The thief is among us. Let me now check your hands.”

Tenali inspected the hands of each person. Suddenly, he stopped and pointed to one man. “Here is our thief!”

The crowd gasped in disbelief. The man’s hands were spotlessly clean!

Tenali explained with a sly grin, “I coated the donkey’s tail with black soot. An innocent person would have no fear of touching it, but the thief, scared of being caught, didn’t touch the tail. That’s why his hands are clean!”

Cornered, the thief confessed to his crimes, and the town cheered for Tenali’s cleverness.

Moral: A guilty conscience always reveals itself, and wisdom can expose the truth.