Ramakrishna replied, I belong to the drama troupe, which just went in.
You know they are staging a play before the king; I am a cowherd boy in it. Look
at my churning stick."
Ramakrishna was trying to slip in -but the guard stopped him and said,
"You have come so late. I will allow you only if you pay the penalty."
What could Ramakrishna offer? His ingenuity came to his rescue. Giving a
display of a comic role before the guard, Ramakrishna said: "Look, I am a great
jester. The king will appreciate my performance and give me a special prize. I will
share it with you, and then leave the palace. Agreed?
The guard asked: "Will you give half of what the king grants you?"
"Yes. Yes . . . . . certainly", replied Ramakrishna.
"Then, get in." So saying the guard let him in.
Full of joy Ramakrishna ran forward. But at the entrance to the Durbar Hall
there was another enemy! Another whiskered guard! And again an obstacle in
Ramakrishna's way.
Like the first guard, this guard, too, let in Ramakrishna after getting a
promise from him to share half of what he got from the king!
The play 'Krishna Leela' was in progress in the presence of the king
himself. Krishna in the company of the cowherds, Krishna's plunder of milk and
butter, Krishna over coming Kalinga, the slaying of the evil enemies Shakatasura,
Dhenuka'sura, Aghasura and Puthani, and finally killing Kamsa himself, all these
the actors had presented. With Krishna before them the other characters were
singing songs in praise of Lord Krishna's valor.
At that moment Ramakrishna struck the actor who was playing the role of
Krishna on the back. The actor sank to the ground in agony. Tenali Ramakrishna,
imitating the Bhagavathas, began to sing and dance keeping time: "What sort of
valor is yours? They say you slew Kaleeya and Kamsa.
"But you could not withstand a single blow with the churning stick!
