A Riddle Arrives at the Vijayanagara Court
One day, a close friend of King Krishnadevaraya sent him three dolls. With them came a short message.
A servant carried in three identical-looking dolls and set them down before the King.
Why Could the Scholars Find No Difference?
The scholars turned the dolls over and over, studying their ears, eyes and hands.
One by one the scholars examined the dolls. They found no difference anywhere. The same weight… the same shape… even the same faces! In the end, they all gave up.
Tenali Ramakrishna Takes Up the Challenge
Tenali examined the dolls calmly. His eyes came to rest on their ears.
The Secret Copper-Wire Test — The First Doll
Tenali took a thin copper wire and slowly slid it into a hole near the first doll's ear. The wire went in — and came out at its mouth.
The Second Doll — In One Ear, Out the Other
Tenali tested the second doll. The wire went in through one ear and came out of the other.
Where Did the Wire Stop in the Third Doll?
Tenali tested the third doll. The wire went in through the ear — and stopped inside its chest.
Which Doll Is the Greatest? — Tenali Explains
The whole court applauded Tenali's wisdom.
Repeating everything you hear is not wisdom… nor is forgetting it. True wisdom is keeping the good you hear in your heart and acting on it when it is needed.
A true friend is one who guards what is told to him in trust. Good advice changes us only when we hold it in our hearts — not when it goes in one ear and out the other.
Neither repeating everything you hear nor forgetting it is wise. True wisdom is keeping the good you hear and acting on it when needed.
He slid a thin copper wire into each doll's ear. In the first it came out of the mouth, in the second out of the other ear — but in the third it stopped inside the chest.
It neither spills nor forgets what it hears — it keeps it within. It stands for a person who guards secrets and holds good counsel in the heart.
Yes — it is great for children aged 6 and up, gently teaching them to keep secrets and remember good advice.
This video is narrated in Telugu with English subtitles.
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