Page 114 - New Grammar with a Smile 4
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2                             Five or Six














                       Read this story about Tirumala and his friend Tenali Raman.


              Tirumala had an inn. But it was not doing well. The guests dwindled day by day and it
              became difficult for him to sustain himself.

              One day, as he sat thinking about ways to make guests visit his inn again. Suddenly
              he remembered Tenali Raman. Tenali Raman was his childhood friend. So, Tirumala
              decides to pay Tenali Raman a visit and seek his advice. Tenali Raman listened to his
              friend’s problem and thought for a while.

              A little later, he said, ‘Tirumala, I would
              advise you to change the name of the inn
              to Panchavani. And hang six bells at the
              entrance.’

              Tirumala was upset. He felt Tenali
              Raman was not actually helping him.
              Instead he felt Tenali Raman was making

              fun of his misery.
              ‘Tenali, how can changing the name of
              the inn and hanging some bells outside
              help revive my inn?’ asked Tirumala.

              ‘I am confident,’ said Tenali, ‘that just by
              doing this, you will start having enough guests at your inn.’

              Although Tirumala was not convinced, he decided to do as his friend advised. So he went
              back and hung six huge bells outside the main gate. And then, he renamed the inn and
              called it Panchavani.

              From the next day, people started coming to the inn. They saw the new board and the
              bells. They came in and told Tirumala to either change the name of the inn or remove
              one of the bells. They felt that since the inn was called Panchavani, it should have only

              five bells.
              And when the people came in and pointed out the mistake, they looked around. They
              felt they should order food and take some rest. And soon, Tirumala’s inn started getting



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