King Krishnadeva Raya was holding court. Suddenly, an old man came in leading five little boys. Everyone looked around at them. They were all strangers. And all the five boys seemed like brothers. They were of the same height and dressed alike.
“Who are you, my good old man?” asked the King, “And who are these boys? What do you want here in our court?” “Your Majesty, I and these boys come from Vellore. I have heard stories about the great wisdom of your court. I have come to seek an answer to my problem. Could you please tell me which one of them is the Prince of Vellore?”
“I could read their palms and tell you which one is the Prince,” said the astrologer.
“Or I could ask them a couple of questions and their answers would tell me which the Prince is,” said one of the courtiers.
“No, you must tell me the answer by just looking at them,” said the stranger.
“Well, Tenali Raman, I am sure you can solve this riddle,” said the King turning to him. Tenali Raman bowed to the King and said, “I’ll do that, Sir.” Saying that, he went out, returning in a few moments with a dish of modakas in his hand.
He carried it to the boys and offered it in turn to each of them. As Tenali Raman showed them the dish, he watched the face of each boy carefully. Each one took a modaka and thanked him politely. Then he moved on to the next boy.
The fifth boy, however, looked at Tenali Raman and the modaka and back again, but did not pick it up to eat it. Tenali Raman smiled at him and reached out to take his hand. He drew him forward to the King.
“Sir, this is the Prince of Vellore,” announced Tenali Raman confidently. The old man was smiling, as the King turned to him to check if Tenali Raman was right.
“He is right, Your Majesty. This really is the Prince of Vellore. All the stories I heard must be true!” he said.
“Well done, Raman. But how did you know?” asked the King.
“Sir, each of the boys took a modaka and ate it. But this boy did not. Princes give things to others; they do not take things. Secondly, Princes are always served. They do not know how to serve themselves. It was clear that he must be the true prince!” explained Tenali Raman.
The King and his court burst into laughter and the old man was taken with his young guests for a good meal!
