In the lively kingdom of Vijayanagara, where the sun shone brightly and laughter danced through the streets, news zoomed around faster than a playful squirrel. One sunny day, the king gave away a hundred and eight golden mangoes to the wise Brahmins, and surprisingly, not a single person complained! This delightful news spread like sparkles in the air, attracting all the clever priests who dreamed of treasure.
Before long, three quirky priests, each with a sillier idea than the last, arrived at the royal palace. The first priest, with a shiny bald head that sparkled in the sun, loudly declared, "The king’s father needs a dazzling diamond tossed into the river to make it smile!" The second, sporting a long, twisty beard that seemed to wiggle on its own, insisted that the king’s grandmother needed a magical silver cow for the temple. "A special cow to bless our kingdom!" he exclaimed, flailing his arms.
Lastly, the third priest, who was so lost in thought that he tripped over his own robe, stuttered, "Uh, the king’s childhood dog needs a golden bone!" He scratched his head, still trying to think of reasons.
Watching from a distance was Tenali Raman, the cleverest man in the kingdom. With a twinkle in his eye, he decided to teach them a lesson. The next day, he sent each priest a glittering invitation. "Dear holy men! Please join me for a special feast for my beloved mother!"
With their stomachs rumbling, the priests rushed to Tenali’s home, where the mouthwatering aroma of spices filled the air. As they feasted, Tenali appeared from behind a colorful curtain, holding a glowing iron rod. “Gentlemen,” he said with a cheeky grin, “my poor mother has a terrible itch! But she insists it can only be cured by three priests. Who wants to volunteer first?”
With a loud CRASH, all three priests leaped up, their faces turning as pale as the moon! One knocked over a beautiful vase, another fell right into the food with a SPLAT, and the third dashed for the door, his bib waving like a white flag!
Tenali chuckled to himself and called after them, “Should I tell the king about your golden mangoes and silver cows, or will you explain it?”
By sunset, the priests sheepishly returned every coin they had taken, their heads hanging low. The king, hearing their funny tale, couldn't stop laughing! He rewarded Tenali with a sparkling ruby ring, saying, “Next time a priest mentions wishes, I’ll ask if a hot iron rod might help too!”