A Thief’s Agony

Everyone in Vijayanagara knew that Tenali Raman was the King’s favourite. The King gave him many gifts and rewards. So, they knew he must be quite rich. This was good news for all the thieves of the kingdom, because they thought his house would be full of money, jewels and costly gifts.
Once a thief decided to rob Tenali Raman. He watched the house carefully to see how he could break into it and realised he could only get in late at night after they had their dinner and gone to sleep. So, he crept as close as he could and hid near the back verandah. From here, he had a clear view of the house and its people.


Tenali Raman came back after his day at the court and saw the thief lurking in the shadows before he hid himself at the back of the house. Tenali Raman guessed that the fellow must be a thief, but he kept quiet about it.
He went about his normal routine, changed and sat on the front verandah, chatting with a neighbour. Then it was time for dinner, and the neighbour went back home. Tenali Raman came in.


He went to the back verandah, still acting as if he had not seen the thief who was hiding in the bushes below. He called out to his wife to bring some hot water and towels.
She brought a large container with hot water and poured it out for him. He washed and gargled and spat out the hot water in the direction where the thief was hidden. The poor fellow was splashed with hot water but dared not make a sound! Again and again, Tenali Raman washed, gargled and spat the water on the thief. The fellow was drenched and scalded with the hot water. But he sat silent and miserable, unable to move an inch.


When the water was nearly finished, Tenali Raman spilt some of it on his wife and asked for some more. His wife was fed up. “What is wrong with you?” she asked, “You have washed and gargled for so long. And now you’ve spilt water on me till I am wet all over! You just come in and have your dinner!”
“One mouthful of water and you are irritated!” laughed Tenali Raman. “And that poor fellow in the bush has been suffering the entire bucket being spat on him! Come out, young man!” he called.
The thief came out, wet and miserable, and asked Tenali Raman to forgive him.

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