Question

Visit a library: Find the stories of 

• Mulla Nasiruddin 
• Gopal Bhand and 
• Tenali Raman. Share them in the class.

Answer 1

1) Mulla Nasiruddin – The Smell of Soup

One day, a poor man stood outside a restaurant, enjoying the delicious smell of soup coming from inside. The owner saw him and shouted, “Hey! You must pay for smelling my soup!”

The poor man was shocked and said, “I didn’t eat anything!” But the owner dragged him to court.

Mulla Nasiruddin was the judge. He listened carefully and then took out a coin from his pocket. He dropped it on the table and said, “Did you hear the sound of that coin?”

“Yes,” the owner replied.

“Good,” said Mulla. “The sound of money is enough for the smell of soup!”

Moral: Be fair and wise in judgment.

2) Gopal Bhand – The King’s Barber

The king was tired of his old barber and asked Gopal to suggest a new one. Gopal brought a young man and said, “He’s the best barber ever!”

The king agreed, but soon he found that the new barber was terrible. He cut the king’s hair unevenly and made him look silly.

The king called Gopal and shouted, “You said he was the best!”

Gopal replied with a grin, “Yes, Your Majesty. I said he was the best barber ever. But I never said he was good!”

Everyone laughed,even the king!

Moral: Choose your words carefully.

3) Tenali Raman – The Thieves and the Drum

Tenali Raman heard that some thieves were planning to rob his house. He came up with a clever plan.

That night, he sat outside his house and loudly spoke to his wife, “I’ve hidden all our gold and silver inside that big drum.”

The thieves, hiding nearby, heard everything. At night, they quietly came and opened the drum. But instead of treasure, a swarm of bees flew out and stung them badly!

Tenali had placed a beehive inside the drum.

Moral: Clever thinking can solve big problems.