Tenali Chooses How to Die

For years Tenali Raman had teased the king, and for years the king had laughed. But one day Tenali went too far. Nobody remembers now exactly what the joke was, only that it was made in front of a visiting king from another country, and that King Krishnadevaraya was humiliated.

When the visitors had gone, the king turned on Tenali, white with anger.

“That is the last time you make a fool of me, Tenali! I sentence you to death.”

The court gasped. Tenali’s enemies tried not to look pleased. His friends looked at the floor.

Tenali bowed his head. “As Your Majesty commands.”

The king was still furious, but even in his anger he remembered the years of friendship and laughter. He couldn’t quite bring himself to be cruel. “Because you have served me for a long time,” he said, “I will allow you one kindness. You may choose the way you die.”

Tenali looked up. “Any way I like, Your Majesty?”

“Any way you like. You have my royal word.”

Tenali thought for a moment. Then he smiled. “In that case, Your Majesty, I choose to die of old age.”

There was a moment of total silence in the hall.

Then the king, who had given his royal word, began to laugh. He laughed at Tenali’s nerve, and at his own temper, and at the whole ridiculous situation. The court laughed with him, and the anger drained out of the room.

“Old age!” said the king, wiping his eyes. “Very well, Tenali. A king keeps his word. You shall die of old age, and not a day before.” Then he added sternly, “But no more jokes in front of foreign kings.”

“No more, Your Majesty,” said Tenali. “At least, not until they’ve gone.”

And so Tenali Raman went on serving King Krishnadevaraya for many more years, making him laugh, helping the poor, outwitting the greedy and telling the king the truth when nobody else dared. The people of Vijayanagara loved him, and they are still telling his stories today, five hundred years later, which is perhaps the best way of all to live on.