Tenali Raman and the Thieves

The story of Tenali Raman and the thieves

One night, thieves came near Tenali Raman's house hoping to steal his belongings. Tenali noticed them hiding in the garden. Instead of calling out, he told his wife loudly that they should place their valuables in a box and throw it into the well. The thieves believed him. After Tenali and his wife went inside, the thieves began drawing water from the well. They worked for a long time, watering the garden as they tried to reach the box. Tenali quietly removed the valuables before they could find them. Tired and disappointed, the thieves left. Tenali's quick thinking had protected his home and helped his plants too. Lesson: A calm mind can solve a difficult problem.

Read, retell and talk together

Read the story aloud once without stopping, then read it again and pause at the important moments. Ask your child how Tenali knew that something was wrong, why he spoke loudly, and what the thieves expected to find. Talk about how the plan changed the garden and how the ending might have been different if Tenali had panicked. Let your child retell the events using the pictures or story cards. Older children can explain which details show that Tenali was observant and clever. You can compare this tale with Tenali Raman Stories and talk about the common qualities of the character.

Activities to go with the story

Use the printables to put the main events in order, match words to pictures and answer simple comprehension questions. Your child can draw the garden before and after the thieves water it, then write two sentences about the change. For speaking practice, act out the roles of Tenali, his wife and the thieves with different voices. Older children can write a safer plan for protecting a house at night and explain why it would work. A short writing prompt such as "The thieves returned the next morning" can lead to a new ending.