Tenali Raman Stories

A clever plan for a quiet night

One night, two thieves came near Tenali Raman's house, hoping to steal something valuable. Tenali noticed them and quickly thought of a plan. He told his wife, loudly, that they should put their jewels in a box and throw it into the well for safety. The thieves waited until the family went inside, then climbed to the well and began drawing up bucket after bucket of water. Tenali had really placed a heavy box of stones in the well. While the thieves worked, the water flowed into his garden and watered the plants. At sunrise, they were tired and had gained nothing. The lesson is: a calm mind and clever thinking can defeat a difficult problem.

Read, pause and talk

Read the story aloud once, then read it again in smaller parts. Pause when Tenali hears the thieves and ask your child what they think he might do. Talk about how his words changed the thieves' plan, and whether tricking someone is always fair. Ask your child to find the beginning, middle and ending of the story. Younger readers can retell it using three pictures, while older children can explain Tenali's plan in their own words. Invite them to read one character's speech with a suitable voice, then discuss the lesson without expecting one fixed answer.

Activities after the story

Let your child arrange mixed-up story events in the correct order and write one sentence for each part. They can draw the well, the garden and the thieves' tired faces, then label the pictures with useful words. Ask them to write a new title or a short dialogue between Tenali and his wife. Older children can make a two-column chart showing the thieves' plan and Tenali's plan. For a speaking activity, act out the scene with simple household objects as props. A maths link could involve counting buckets or planning how many rows of plants the water could reach.