Tenali Rama: The cat who wouldn't drink milk

Told in English, Telugu.

Long, long ago, in the great city of Vijayanagara, there lived a wise king named Krishnadevaraya. His court was full of clever people, but the cleverest and funniest of them all was Tenali Ramakrishna. Everyone simply called him Rama.

One year, the city had a big problem. Mice! Little grey mice were everywhere. They nibbled the rice in the storehouses. They chewed the sacks of dal. They even ran across the palace kitchen at night, squeak squeak squeak!

The king called his courtiers together. "We need cats," he said. "Many, many cats. I will give each of you one cat to look after. And so that your cat grows strong, I will also give each of you a cow. Feed the cat with the cow's milk. In three months, bring your cats back to me, and we will see who has cared for his cat the best."

The courtiers bowed. Each one went home with a little kitten in his arms and a cow walking behind him.

Rama went home too. His kitten was small and white, with one black spot on its nose. His wife smiled when she saw it. "What a sweet little thing," she said. "And a cow too! Now our children can have milk every morning."

Rama thought for a moment. Then he said, "First, let us give the kitten its milk."

His wife had just boiled a pot of fresh milk. It was still steaming. Rama poured some into a small bowl and set it down. The kitten ran to it happily and dipped in its little pink tongue.

"Miaaow!" The milk was much too hot! The kitten jumped back, shook its head, and ran to hide behind the water pot. It was not badly hurt, only very surprised, and soon it was licking its paws again. But from that day on, the kitten would not go near a bowl of milk. Whenever it saw one, it turned around and walked the other way.

So Rama's family drank the cow's milk, and the kitten ate a little rice and curd scraps, and spent its days doing what cats love best. It chased mice! It chased them in the kitchen, in the storeroom, and all around the yard. The kitten grew into a quick, slim cat, with bright eyes and very fast paws.

Three months passed. On the day of the meeting, all the courtiers came to the palace with their cats. Oh, what cats they were! They were round and plump, like big fluffy pillows. Some were so fat that they had to be carried in. One cat fell asleep right there on the palace floor and began to snore.

Then Rama walked in. Behind him came his slim white cat with the black spot on its nose.

The king frowned. "Rama! Look at your cat. It is so thin! Did you not feed it the milk from the cow I gave you?"

The other courtiers giggled behind their hands. At last, they thought, clever Rama is in trouble.

Rama bowed politely. "Maharaja, I am sorry, but my cat does not like milk."

"Nonsense!" said the king. "Every cat in the world loves milk. Bring a bowl of milk at once!"

Can you guess what happened next?

A servant brought a big bowl of cool, creamy milk and placed it in front of Rama's cat. The whole court leaned forward to watch. The cat looked at the bowl. It sniffed the air. And then, with its tail straight up, it turned around and ran right out of the hall!

The courtiers gasped. The king's eyes grew wide. "A cat that will not drink milk? Rama, what is the secret?"

Rama smiled. "Maharaja, may I first ask you one question? Why did you give us these cats?"

"To catch the mice, of course," said the king.

"Then let us see which cats are catching mice," said Rama. "These big round cats are so full of milk that they only want to sleep. Why would they chase a mouse? But my cat is light and quick. There is not a single mouse left in my house. Ask anyone on my street!"

The king looked at the snoring, fluffy cats. Then he looked at the door, where Rama's slim cat was peeping in. Suddenly, a tiny mouse ran across the palace floor. Not one fat cat moved. But Rama's cat leapt, quick as lightning, and chased the mouse right out into the garden.

The king began to laugh. He laughed so hard that his crown nearly slipped. "Rama, you are right! I wanted cats to catch mice, not cats to sleep on cushions!"

Then Rama told the king the whole story of the hot milk, and the king laughed even more. "So your cat learned its lesson on the very first day!" he said. Then he wagged his finger gently. "But Rama, be kind to that brave little cat. It has worked hard for you."

"Yes, Maharaja," said Rama, and he meant it.

That evening, Rama poured a small bowl of milk, and this time he let it cool for a long, long time. He touched it with his own finger to check. Then he set it down softly. His cat came close. It sniffed. It waited. It looked up at Rama as if to ask, Are you sure?

"It is cool now, my friend," said Rama softly. "I promise."

And slowly, carefully, the little cat with the black spot on its nose began to drink. Lap, lap, lap. Then it curled up in Rama's lap and purred itself to sleep.

And so, goodnight to Rama, and goodnight to his clever cat.