Med Writes

Long ago, a sailor named Calico Sprat rode the vast oceans, travelling over uncharted seas and lands. One day, his crew and he encountered a terrible storm that went on for God knows how long.

* * *

The land of Couragia was developed, although it had no connection to the outside world, and no one from the outside world knew about it. It was a haven free from the diseases and disorders faced in the known world. This land was ruled by a benevolent, beloved, kind and compassionate king named Krishna Deva Raya. The king was aided and advised by a group of ministers, and among them, the most witty and clever was Tenali Raman.

It was a warm morning, and a lot of people were flocking toward the northwestern coast of Couragia. Earlier in the night, one of the king’s men had spotted a shipwreck upon the coast of Couragia. The king and his minister had rushed to the location to analyse the situation. The men on the ship were escorted to the royal palace of the king and were given the best of treatment.

* * *

Calico was from an industrialised country where the atmosphere was covered in dark smoke from the industries, and the streets were filthy. The people were miserable with poverty, while the rich lived comfortably due to the results of capitalism. He was not well off but could make ends meet, so it was a surprise that he was resting in a comfortable bed. In an instant, he got up, walked toward the window and took a deep breath in. To his shock, his lungs were filled with clean air. The streets were spotless, and there was no sign of poverty-stricken people. He looked out in astonishment and realised that he was not in Europe or the Americas. India could be a possibility, but that seemed too far off. Africa was exploited and looted, so that wasn’t a prospect. 

At that moment, the door to his room opened and a man in heavy jewellery and intricately designed clothes entered, with a loud and rich voice, he announced,” His Highness, King of Couragia Krishna Deva Raya, would be pleased to see you. Please do understand that this is not an option and is a command, so I would be pleased if you moved your legs and followed me to the courtroom.” Calico followed the man to the courtroom.

The courtroom was the most beautiful and richly decorated architecture Calico had ever seen. It was designed stunningly. It gave detail to every little thing on the walls, for example, the sculptures of men in rich clothes with benevolent looks on their faces. There were pores through which sunlight entered, and it gave the room a gleaming effect. The courtiers’ chairs were made from solid gold and silver with various gems.  

Calico, not forgetting his manners, bowed before the king. The King asked him what had happened, and Calico narrated the events that took place. The whole court leaned their ears and heard his story, not one interruption was made, as all of them were glued to their seats listening with keen interest.

As the story finished, the king told him that he and his crew were free to stay in Couragia, but if homesick could be transported back to their country. Calico said that he was incredibly grateful to the king, but he would have to discuss it with his crewmen first. The king let him leave. As soon as he found his men, he told them what had happened. The men who had already seen the city from their respective windows had felt it was a good place, but the crew unanimously agreed to return to their homeland. 

Later that day, Calico visited the king and told him that the crew had decided that they would be returning to their homeland. Calico also thanked him for the generosity with which he welcomed them. The king nodded his head and said,” I understand. We will prepare your ship, and until then, you are welcome to stay in our royal palace. If you wish, you may also visit the court during its proceedings.

The next day, Calico came down to court, where the session was already taking place. Calico had brought his notebook to record the matter. (NOTE: The retelling below is an excerpt from Calico’s well-maintained journal.)

Date:18. 8. 1809

There was a very peculiar case taking place in his (Krishna Deva Raya) court. A common man was sharing his story of plight to the king while all the ministers were listening intently. I, who was also in the crowd, began listening. It was a very complicated affair which had been set out. All the ministers were dumbstruck. This business was indeed very confusing. The matter in this case was related to a farmer who owed a hundred gold coins to a moneylender. The moneylender, however, demanded the sum of two hundred coins the very next day.

Then a courtier said, “Fret not, dear man, I, Tenali Raman, will help you, and with god’s grace I shall succeed in doing so.”Everyone’s eyes turned toward Raman.

I asked one of the ministers about who Tenali Raman was, and the minister said.

“Tenali Raman is the wittiest man and the cleverest in the court. He can remain calm under pressure, and his improvisational thinking was also amazing. If anyone could solve this case, it would be Tenali Raman. Tenali is brilliant and sensational.”

The case began when a poor farmer named Ramu entered the royal court, his face worn by the sun. Beside him stood a moneylender, a man with rings on every finger. The common man started telling his tale of woe. The air was thick with tension. Then the moneylender loudly declared that Ramu owed him 200 gold coins and, if unpaid, his small plot of land would be seized. 

“Your Majesty,” Raman said, with a sly smile

“May I ask the moneylender a simple question?”

The King nodded, leaning forward with interest, and so did I, barely noticing that I had spilt a drop of ink on the page.

Raman turned to the moneylender. “When you plant seeds in your field, do you expect a harvest the next day?”

The court chuckled. I admit, even I smirked, but the moneylender, in his arrogance, laughed loudest. “Of course not! It takes months for crops to grow.”

And then came Raman’s trap, as elegant as it was deadly.

“Ah,” he said.

“So, if you lent 100 gold coins, why do you expect them to double overnight? Shouldn’t kindness grow like crops — with time and patience? Or do you believe money grows faster than grain?”

The court fell silent. My quill paused mid-sentence. Even the King sat back, stroking his beard, with a slow smile from, as he realised that Raman had put the moneylender in his trap.

The moneylender’s laughter died. His face paled, and he muttered apologies. Under Raman’s gaze and the weight of the court’s stares, he agreed to take only the original 100 coins, paid back over time. Ramu would keep his land.

I scribbled furiously to capture every word, for such wisdom deserves to echo through the ages.

As the court erupted in applause, I, Calico, felt a swell of pride. Not just for Raman, but for the kingdom that valued justice over greed. I dipped my quill once more and wrote at the bottom of the page.

“On this day, Tenali Raman sowed the seeds of fairness, and they shall bear fruit for generations.”. 

Over here, the journal regarding the tale of Tenali Raman ends, but through this, we understand that Tenali Raman had a long list of qualities and ideals. Tenali Raman was a humorous man and believed in justice. He also supported the thought of truth over power, and while on truth over power, we understand he was fearless and very courageous. All in all, he was an exceptional man and stayed true to his values and ethics.

I think that we can all learn from Tenali Raman, and we should incorporate more of his qualities and morals into ourselves.