Short Stories

1.)                   Qui Jun and the Arrogant Monk

There once lived a monk called Shan, in a village in China. He had earned a great name for himself. But he was very arrogant. Qui Jun heard of his arrogance and wanted to teach the monk a lesson. He went to meet Shan who neither greeted him nor acknowledged his presence. Just then a servant of the monk came with a message: "The son of an army officer is here to see you."

The monk said, "I will go and greet him." Shan welcomed the son of the army officer with respect. After the army officer's son had departed Qui Jun asked Shan the reason for his double-faced behaviour.

"Why is it that you greeted the army officer's son so respectfully, yet behaved so arrogantly towards me?" Shan the Monk had a quick reply: "Please don't get me wrong. For me greeting meansnot greeting and not greeting means greeting."

Qui Jun understood the monk's mischief and hit him hard on his head with his stick. "According to your logic, beating you means not beating and not beating you means beating. Therefore, I have to give you a beating," said Qui Jun.

                                 Shan immediately realised the folly of his actions and started showing respect to everyone he met, irrespective of their status.

2.)                                                    Tenali Rama and the Jinx

Stories, about Tenali Rama and his practical jokes on everyone around him including distinguished fellow poets and the emperor himself, abound in south India.

                               It was well known in the town of Vijaynagar that anyone unfortunate enough to look at a man called Ramaya first thing in the morning, would not be able to have food that day.

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That was why no one in Vijaynagar liked encountering Ramaya in the morning, if they could help it. King Krishnadeva Rai, too, came to know of this and wanted to try it out on himself. He called Ramaya to the palace and made him stay the night in a room adjacent to his bedchamber. The next morning, the first thing he did after waking up, was to take a look at Ramaya.

After finishing a few important duties in the durbar or court, the king went to the dining hall to eat. The food arrived piping hot. The king had hardly picked up the first morsel when he caught sight of a fly in the food. He left the table in disgust. And when the food was prepared for him the second time, he found that he had lost his appetite. King Krishnadeva Rai could not eat anything at all that day, as a result.

The king was convinced that Ramaya was really jinxed. An angry king ordered that Ramaya be hanged.

In those days the king's word was law. The soldiers had no option but to take Ramaya to the gallows. While on their way to the gallows, they met Tenali Rama. He heard the story from the condemned man and then whispered something in Ramaya's ears. Ramaya nodded before being whisked away. When the soldiers asked Ramaya about his last wish, he told them he wanted to convey a message to the king. He also requested that he be hanged only after hearing of the king's response.

"Tell the king while it may be true that anyone who sees my face first thing in the morning does not get anything to eat that day, it's also true that if anyone sees the king's face first thing in the morning, as I did, he has to lose his life. So who's the greater jinx - the king or I?" said Ramaya.On hearing the message, the king was stunned. Then he felt ashamed. He ordered the execution to be stopped, called Ramaya over and offered him gifts. He also asked Ramaya not to say anything about the incident to the public. He was sure that the people of Vijaynagar wouldn't take well to the idea of having a jinxed person for a ruler.

And Tenali Won Again!