A gang of thieves was robbing all houses in the kingdom and the city chief was very disturbed, as he could not catch them or stop them. He sought Tenali Rama’s help.

Tenali Rama and his wife spread a rumor around the kingdom that they had a bag of gold coins. One day, Tenali heard the leaves rustle outside his house and realized it was the thieves. So, he told his wife loud enough for the thieves to hear, that they should hide all the wealth in a box and drop it in the well.

As expected, the thieves tried to get the box out of the well. They drained the water from the well all night, only to find the box filled with rocks and stones. Tenali thanked them for watering his plants. When they tried to run away, the chief who was waiting, caught them all.

Moral – A little clever thinking and presence of mind can solve even the biggest issues.