It was the King’s birthday. The whole kingdom celebrated. The palace was full of lights and flowers and people bustling around. The King received costly gifts from merchants and landowners and from other kings too. The attendants had been ordered to take very good care of all the gifts and ensure that they suffered no damage.
The King was particularly fond of a set of pitchers which were used for huge bouquets of flowers. One of the attendants was carrying a pitcher carefully to its place. Suddenly, a kitten came running and dashed against the attendant’s leg. He lost his balance and fell. The pitcher had smashed into bits!
The attendant sat up, terrified. People had heard the noise and rushed towards it.The King also came and saw one of his precious pitchers in pieces. He was very, angry and, without waiting for any explanation, he ordered that the attendant should be executed. He would listen to no plea for mercy.
Miserably, the poor attendant was led away by the guards. One of the atten-dants ran to Tenali Raman to tell him the news and to ask for his help. Tenali Raman list-ened to the whole matter and then decided to save the life of the poor attendant.
That night, he went to the prison where the attendant was kept and spoke to him quietly. The fellow, who had been crying till then, wiped his tears and nodded his head. He still looked a little frightened but it was clear that he had been comforted by what Tenali Raman told him.
The next morning, he was led to the gallows. Before being executed, he was asked what his last wish was. He said he wished to see all the pitchers in the set.
The King, who was attending the execution with his court, was surprised. But he allowed all the pitchers to be brought and placed near the condemned man. Before anyone could do anything, the prisoner reached out and smashed all the pitchers.
The King screamed in fury, “How dare you? You are being executed for breaking one pitcher and, instead of feeling any remorse, you have smashed all of
them! Why?”
The attendant bowed low and said humbly, “Your Majesty, I am only an attendant. And I am going to die for breaking one pitcher. I am just trying to save my brother- attendants. I will die, but now none of them will have to die if he breaks a pitcher.” The King realised the injustice of what he was about to do and stopped the execution.
