Tenali Raman once lived in a rented house. The building was old and whenever there was a strong wind, its rafters would creak and squeak. One day when the landlord came to collect the rent, Tenali Raman told him about the alarming noises the building was making. “Don’t let that worry you,” said the landlord, airily,“Those noises are nothing but the praises the old building is singing to the Almighty.”
“Oh, I’m not worried about the hymns,” said Tenali Raman, “But what if it decided to kneel down and worship him?”
The landlord was rendered speechless. He came to learn that the tenant was none other than Tenali, the witty. He at once sent a carpenter who repaired the rafters of the building.
