Humour. His actions and words often bring laughter. Like in the story where he made the baby laugh and cry with his paintings. His unique and funny solutions are a big part of his charm.
A great Tenali Rama story involves a challenge where he had to paint a picture that could make a crying baby laugh and vice versa. Tenali Rama painted a mother elephant scolding her baby elephant for being naughty. The baby's comical expression made the crying baby laugh. And when he showed the reverse side which was a tiger chasing the baby elephant, it made the laughing baby cry. His creativity in this story is remarkable.
Well, it's believed that Tenali Rama has a basis in reality. However, as stories get passed along, they often change and incorporate fictional elements. So, it's not a pure account of exactly what happened, but it does draw inspiration from real people and events.
Another great bedtime story of Tenali Rama is when he made a fool of a proud scholar. The scholar was so full of himself and his knowledge. Tenali Rama, with his simple yet profound wisdom, showed the scholar that book knowledge is not everything. He did this through a series of riddles and real - life situations that the scholar could not answer or understand, while Tenali Rama, with his practical knowledge, prevailed. It's a story that can teach kids to value all kinds of knowledge, not just what they learn from books.
Another moral is about humility. Often, the characters who are too proud, like some of the courtiers, are shown to be defeated by Tenali Rama. This teaches that being overly proud can lead to one's downfall. For instance, when a courtier brags about his knowledge and Tenali Rama makes him look foolish with his cleverness.
The vivid and interesting plots contribute to their popularity. There are always unexpected twists and turns in the stories. Whether it is dealing with the king, sages, or common people, Tenali Rama's adventures and his smart solutions keep the readers or listeners engaged. His unique solutions to problems, like building a model palace to meet the king's demand, are things that people enjoy hearing about over and over again.
One funny Tenali Rama story is about how he outwitted a proud scholar. The scholar came to the court boasting of his knowledge. Tenali Rama challenged him to a test. He placed a pot in a room and asked the scholar to describe what was inside without looking. The scholar couldn't. Then Tenali Rama said it was a pot with a small hole at the bottom. He had actually placed a pot like that. His quick thinking and simplicity in solving such a tricky situation are hilarious.
A well - known story is when Tenali Rama fooled the courtiers. He told them he could make a tree grow overnight. He planted a small twig in the ground. The courtiers watched all night, but of course, it didn't grow. In the morning, Tenali Rama said the tree had grown underground. His ability to turn a failed experiment into a humorous explanation made this story popular.