In the Kingdom of Fools

By A.K. Ramanujan

A.K. Ramanujan was an Indian poet, scholar, and folklorist, known for his contributions to both Indian and English literature. His work often explores themes of culture, tradition, and the complexities of human nature. Ramanujan was also renowned for translating Indian folklore and classical texts into English. “In the Kingdom of Fools” is a humorous folklore from Ramanujan’s collection that tells the story of a strange kingdom where everything is upside down – people work at night and sleep during the day, and prices of goods are irrationally the same. The story illustrates the folly of foolish leadership and the importance of wisdom and intelligence in overcoming absurdity and danger.

Q: What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple find in the Kingdom of Fools?

Ans. The first strange thing the guru and his disciple find is that everyone in the Kingdom, including the king and his minister, sleeps during the day and works at night. The other strange thing in the kingdom was that everything, including food, cost the same single ‘duddu’.

Q: Why does the disciple decide to stay in the Kingdom of Fools? Is it a good idea?

Ans. The disciple decides to stay in the Kingdom of Fools because he is attracted to the cheap price of food. He believes he can live lavishly by spending very little money. No, it is not a good idea. The guru senses danger in a place where everyone is foolish and the laws are absurd, but the disciple ignores his warning and stays, which leads to trouble later.

Q: Name all the people who are tried in the king’s court, and give the reasons for their trial.

Ans. Several people are tried in the king’s court. First of all, the merchant was held responsible for the collapse of the wall that killed the thief. The merchant blamed the bricklayer for building a weak wall. The bricklayer blamed the dancing girl for distracting him with her jingling anklets. The girl passed the blame onto the goldsmith for delaying her jewelry, which caused her to walk back and forth in front of the bricklayer’s work. The goldsmith blamed the merchant’s father but since he is dead, the blame was once again laid on the merchant.

Q: Who is the real culprit according to the king? Why does he escape punishment?

Ans. The real culprit, according to the king, is the rich merchant. However, he escapes punishment because the executioner finds that the merchant is too thin to fit the stake meant for the execution.

Q: What are the Guru’s words of wisdom? When does the disciple remember them?

Ans. The Guru’s words of wisdom are: “This is a city of fools. You don’t know what they will do next.” The disciple remembers these words when he is about to be executed in place of the rich merchant. He realizes the gravity of his guru’s warning when he finds himself in a life-threatening situation due to the foolish laws of the kingdom.

Q: How does the guru manage to save his disciple’s life?

Ans. The guru manages to save his disciple’s life by devising a clever plan. He tells the king that he wants to be executed first because he foresees that the person executed on the new stake will become the king in the next life and the person executed next will become the minister. The king, being a fool, believes this and decides to execute himself and his minister so that they may be the king and the minister in the next life, thereby saving the guru and his disciple.