Is it possible to put a price on something that you love dearly?
Nandish owns a beautiful white horse—his prized possession—that Somendra, a cunning merchant, has had his eye on since forever. He keeps offering to buy the horse, proposing ridiculous amounts each time, but Nandish simply doesn’t agree. Getting tired of Somendra’s tactics, Nandish decides to put an end to the whole thing once and for all. But will it work?
If there’s anyone who can put a witty spin to anything, it’s Sudha Murty and The Price is Right is another delightful example of that. Read on to find out whether Nandish manages to outsmart Somendra for one last time.
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who had princes lining up to ask for her hand in marriage, but she would refuse to so much as even look at them.
The neighbouring kingdom was home to a handsome prince and when he heard about the princess who wouldn’t marry, he was intrigued—so he decided to find out what the fuss was all about. Adventure, romance and humour abound!
Sudha Murty’s stories are always charming and The Princess Who Was a Bird is no exception. Read on to find out if the prince has it in him to be the one for the princess.
Trust forms the very foundation of any relationship. And the funny thing is while it takes a long time to build, it can take mere moments to get destroyed.
Makarand is a shrewd and dishonest shopkeeper, but he has one friend, Mihir, who trusts him greatly. So when Mihir decides to go on a pilgrimage, he decides to leave his life’s savings in Makarand’s care. Makarand, feigning compassion, suggests hiding the money in a location that only they know of.
As expected, when Mihir returns, the bag of money is nowhere to be found. And yet, Mihir’s trust in Makarand is unwavering. But then where did the money go? Read on, as Sudha Murty beautifully depicts the importance of trust in relationships in this touching little tale.
Maruti, the poor farmer, and Mahadeva, the rich businessman, have only one thing in common: A large family. Forced by dire circumstances, the god-fearing Maruti set out with his few belongings, his family and his faith when fortune, quite literally, falls into his lap. Hearing this, Mahadeva became jealous, and he too sets out along the same path with his family. But does the same fortune await Mahadeva too?
An unexpected and new spin on the old adage ‘united we stand, divided we fall’, this story is another delightful gem from Sudha Murty’s treasure of fun stories. Read on to find out what awaits Maruti and Mahadeva.
Sometimes one has to take matters into their own hands to fight injustice and discrimination.
Amrutananda and Kapiladeva were cunning and extremely sly landlords in two neighbouring villages. They would cheat and ill-treat their labourers, but make a lot of money. However, someone had to teach them a lesson and that’s how Manikya arrived on their doorstep, offering to work for them for free, all set to teach them two very important lessons.
Another clever story from the master of funny stories, Two Unforgettable Lessons will amuse you, entertain you and leave you rooting for Manikya and his brains long after you’ve finished the story.
When Mallika got married, her mother gave her a silk purse filled with gifts. Kind-hearted as Mallika was, she gave the purse away to a young orphan bride she met on her way to her new house, who was sad about not having any gifts for her in-laws.
Karma has its own mysterious ways of working and ten years later, Mallika is destined to encounter the silk purse again, but in circumstances she couldn’t have imagined even in her wildest dreams.
The Lucky Purse is another one of Sudha Murty’s marvellous little gems that highlight the importance of being kind to one another.
Is there such a thing as too much cleverness?
When three intelligent brothers set out on a journey to make a fortune using their powers of reasoning and logic, they couldn’t have imagined even in their wildest dreams that they’d be taken to the king—as criminals!
Can they get out of this situation when in fact it was their cleverness that put them in it in the first place? Another gem from Sudha Murty’s treasure of witty tales, The Clever Brothers is entertaining and delightful.
A king is only as clever as his people.
When Srimukha, a poor farmer, hears that the king will be passing through the village, he decides to gift the monarch his best rooster in order to earn a reward. However, Srimukha’s intelligence is tested when the king asks him a very tricky question.
Can Srimukha impress the king and earn the reward he so desires? Read on to find out in this tale of competing wits by the queen of clever writing, Sudha Murty.
The beautiful princess Chandravati loved all jewellery, but the piece she loved most was an expensive diamond necklace, which she wore every day. One day, before going for a dip in the pond, Chandravati leaves her necklace in the care of her most trusted old servant. But the old woman drifts into a slumber and the necklace is stolen from her hands.
Several likely culprits are captured but are found to be innocent. Who could be this mysterious offender?
In this humorous tale, narrated by the inimitable Sudha Murty, amid chaos and confusion, there is also an important lesson: Jumping to conclusions has never really helped anybody. Read on to find out who could have outsmarted Chandravati, her maid and all the royal guards!
When someone uses their powers for the wrong reasons, only they reap the benefits. But when someone uses their powers for the right reasons, an entire kingdom can reap those benefits.
Sumant was a smart man, who loved using his cleverness to make a quick buck—sometimes tricking shopkeepers into giving him free sweets and sometimes conning people in order to earn a lot of gold. But he might face his biggest challenge yet when the king of Vidishanagara orders his arrest.
Sumant has to put his brain to the ultimate test and somehow turn his situation around. Find out in Emperor of Alakavati, another one of Sudha Murty’s gems that deftly shows the two sides of having a clever mind.
