Page 114 - New Grammar with a Smile 4

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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