Chapter 2 Handful of grains and coins
There was an arrogant woman named Vidhyulatha in the Vijayanagara Kingdom. She was proud of her accomplishments and loved showing off her intelligence. One day she put up a board outside her house, offering anyone 1000 gold coins if they could outsmart her wit, wisdom and intelligence.
Many scholars took up her challenge, but she could not be defeated. That is until one day a man selling firewood arrived. He started shouting on top of his voice outside her door. Irritated with his shouting, Vidhyulatha asked the man to sell her his firewood.
The man said he would sell her his firewood in exchange for a 'handful grain.' She agreed and asked him to put the firewood in the backyard. However, the man insisted that she had not understood what he had actually asked for. He then said that if she couldn't pay him the exact price of a 'handful grain', then she must take down her challenge board and give him 1000 gold coins.
Getting angry, Vidhyulatha accused him of talking nonsense. The vendor said it was not nonsense, and since she had not understood his price, she should concede defeat. Hearing these words, Vidhyulatha started getting frustrated with the vendor. After hours of arguing, they decided to go to the provincial court.
The judge heard what Vidhyulatha had to say and then asked the firewood vendor to give his explanation. The vendor explained that he wanted a 'handful grain' which means a singular grain that would fill a hand. Since she failed to understand this, Vidhyulatha was bested and therefore she needed to take down her board and give the vendor the 1000 gold coins.
Impressed, the judge agreed, and the matter was resolved. After Vidhyulatha took down her board, she asked the vendor who he really was, doubting a simple firewood vendor could have bested her. Taking off his disguise, Tenali Raman revealed himself! He wanted to teach the arrogant and snobbish Vidhyulatha a lesson in being humble. Lesson learned!