One evening, Tenali Raman’s wife saw her husband walking up and down the verandah in great anxiety. “What’s the matter?” she asked him. “I borrowed a hundred dinars from our neighbour last month and I promised to return the money on the last day of this month,” explained Raman, “Tomorrow is the last day and I don’t have the money. I don’t know what to do.” “What is there to do?” said his wife, “Go and tell him you can’t pay.” Raman took his wife’s advice. When he returned from his neighbour’s house he looked relaxed and happy.
“How did he take it?” asked his wife. “Ah, well,” said Raman, “Now he is walking up and down his verandah. Your words did wonder. As soon as I told him that I won’t be able to return his money, he got in a bad mood. He felt worried and disappointed. I left him there and came back.”
