The tales of Mahadenamutta and his pupils are one of the best funny folktale series that Sinhalese folklore contributes to folktales from around the world. This particular story is as funny as it gets, showcasing the stupidity of the so-called ‘one who knows all’ person. Whether you are seeking funny folktale characters, funny folktales, short funny stories for kids, bedtime stories for kids, or even for adults, this particular story and the rest of the Mahadenamutta stories will be ideal. Enjoy storytelling!
One day, Mahadenamutta and his pupils traveled to a village far away to solve a problem. You know, Maha-Denamutta means the-one-who-knows-many. So, the innocent villages that had problems they couldn’t find solutions for used to ask for this person’s help. This time, a villager from a distant village asked for his help. So, the one-knows-all and his fellow pupils walked all day long under the hot sun to go to the village.
On the way to this village, the Mahadenamutta and his students were so tired and thirsty. Therefore, they decided to go to a house nearby and ask for water. They approached a house and asked for water. The owner of the house was a kind villager. He invited them to sit until he brought water.
The villager went to the kitchen to bring water. But, on the way, the villager thought, “These people seemed so tired. The sun is so hot today. I better offer them king coconut water instead of water.”
So, the villager went into his backyard to bring king coconut. He had planted king coconut trees and taken care of them. So, he just had to choose a tree and pluck six king coconuts. But, because of the drought, there were only six king coconuts on all of the trees.
The man thought, “I can’t pluck all of them now; what if I will need king coconuts for more important things like recovering from an illness? And I have to keep a few for making oil.”
So, the man plucked only four king coconuts. But there were six men to serve. He didn’t like to serve water to two men and king coconut to four. He thought it was not nice to treat them differently. Therefore, he went inside the kitchen, cut the king coconut and collected the water in a jug. Then he went to the men outside and gave each man a coconut cup and filled them with the king coconut water that was in the jar.
The Mahadenamutta and the pupils were so thirsty already. So they finished the cups at once. Then the kind man served them another round of king coconut water.
After drinking the king coconut offered by the man, Mahadenamutta asked, “Oh wow! What a tasty cup of water!”
His pupils also repeated after him admiring the taste of the water the man served them with.
The man just smiled without saying a word.
Then Mahadenamutta asked, “I mean for real. This is so tasty. From where did you get this water?”.
Listening to what he asked, the villager was confused for a while. Then he understood that the men in front of him did not recognize it as King Coconut Water. So, he was curious to know who those men were who did not recognize King Coconut Water by taste.
So he said, “If your thirst is quenched, that is what matters. right gentlemen?. By the way, where are you from? Who are you people?”
Mahadenamutta replied to the man, introducing himself, his pupils, and the purpose of their journey. And he asked again about where he got the water. Getting to know the men to whom he just served king coconut water, Mahadenamutta and his pupils, the man thought it was best not to let them know about the king coconut trees. Because the man had heard of the foolish things Mahadenamutta and his pupils did.
“These fools could not even recognize King Coconut Water. I should make some fun,” the man thought. So, he said, “Ugh, this is just water from that well,” pointing to the well that was in his front yard.
The Mahadenamutta and his pupils believed the man, thanked him, and went on their way. On the way, they could not think of anything other than the tasty water they drank. They had not drunk such tasty water from a well. Everyone had not even heard of a well that had such tasty water. They all wished they could have water from that well. Meanwhile, the Mahadenamutta wanted to have the well. So he made a plan.
“Students! We are going to have that water again. Do exactly as I say!” Mahadenamutta introduced his plan to his pupils.
According to the plan, Mahadenamutta and his students secretly walked back to that villager’s place in the middle of the night that day.
Idikatu Pancha, the first student, was told to keep watching for the villager. He peeked behind a banana tree and was watching over the house.
The others slowly walked to the well. Then they put a long and strong wooden pole across the well and tried to lift it.
After trying for a few hours, they could separate the parts of the well that were above the ground! Mahadenamutta led the way. The four students walked behind him, lifting the heavy well. The one who was watching over came behind all. They stole the well!
The next morning, the villager saw that the part above the ground of his well was gone. He thought maybe elephants had come and struck the well. But he didn’t hear anything.
The villager went closer to the well and looked carefully. There were human footsteps all around the place. And the small, rounded brick wall of the well that was above the ground was gone. Suddenly, the villager started to laugh.
“Oh, you fool Mahadenamutta! First, you could not recognize King Coconut Water. Then you believed that coconut water was taken from the well. Then you stole the well to steal water! What a fool this man is. The one-knows-all, Huh Huh ha!” The man laughed.