Tenali Rama And The Hidden Treasure

One hot summer afternoon, Tenali Rama was walking through a quiet village on his way back from the royal court. As he passed a field, he noticed an old farmer digging furiously under a big banyan tree. Sweat dripped down the farmer’s face as he muttered to himself and swung his spade again and again.

Rama, curious as always, stopped and asked, “What are you looking for, good sir?”

The farmer paused, wiped his brow, and replied, “A few days before my father died, he whispered that he had buried a box of treasure under this tree. I’ve been digging ever since, but I can’t find anything!”

Tenali Rama thought for a moment. “Did he say exactly where he buried it?”

“No,” the farmer sighed. “He was very weak and could barely speak. All he said was ‘under the tree’ before closing his eyes forever.”

Rama looked at the large area around the tree. The farmer had already dug many holes, ruining the soil and tiring himself out.

“Hmm,” Rama said thoughtfully. “Instead of digging up every inch of this land, why don’t you do something smarter?”

The farmer looked up eagerly. “What should I do?”

Rama smiled and said, “Sow seeds. If the treasure is here, the rains will soften the earth and you’ll be able to see where it’s buried. And if there is no treasure, at least you’ll have crops to harvest!”

The farmer was surprised by this clever advice but decided to try it. He planted seeds throughout the field.

Months later, during the rainy season, the plants began to grow. One day, the farmer noticed a patch where nothing had sprouted. Curious, he dug there and to his shock, he found an old iron box buried in the earth. Inside it were glittering gold coins and precious gems!

The farmer ran to Rama’s house and fell at his feet. “You were right! The treasure was hidden—but your advice gave me both a rich harvest and the reward of my father’s gift.”

Rama helped the farmer donate part of the treasure to help poor villagers and advised him to use the rest wisely.

Moral – Patience and wisdom often lead to double rewards.