Tenali Raman and The Cat

King Krishnadevaraya’s court was discussing the intelligence of animals. One minister asserted, “cats have the highest intelligence.” The court’s other members supported the minister. They began to talk about how smart their own cats were. Each claimed that his own cat was the most intelligent.

The king wanted to hold a cat-fighting competition. The king announced, “If someone can bring a cat that does something which no other cat can do, they will be declared the winner.”

The courtiers brought their cats the following week. Raman of Tenali and his cat also visited the court. The king wanted to give the cats a treat at first. The cats were served milk on golden plates.

All the cats raced toward the milk as soon as they saw it. Only one cat turned around and ran away from the milk. This bizarre behavior caught the king off guard.

Raman said cheerfully, “Maharaj, all cats ran towards milk. Milk lured my cat away. No other cat has ever done this, what my cat did.” Krishnadevaraya concurred and awarded the prize to Raman’s cat.

The King questioned Raman about how he taught his cat to do things that no other cat could.

Raman grinned, “I wanted to ensure that my cat receives the highest quality milk. I, therefore, boiled the milk and transferred it to a plate to cool. My cat ran to get some milk as soon as he saw it. He gave the first lick and burned his tongue before I could stop him. Since that day, he takes off at whatever point he sees milk on a plate.”

The King and Raman had a hearty laugh.

Moral of Tenali Raman and The Cat Story

Intelligence comes in various forms; sometimes, it takes creativity and unique thinking to stand out. Instead of relying solely on what others perceive as smart or successful, it is crucial to recognize individual strengths and find creative solutions to problems.