Tenali Rama and the Floating Palace

King Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara was known for his love of art and his occasional whimsical ideas. One night, the King had a magnificent dream. He saw a grand palace floating high above the clouds. The palace was encrusted with precious gems, had pillars of solid gold, and hovered in the air without any support. Upon waking, the King was so mesmerized by the dream that he immediately announced in the court that anyone who could build him such a floating palace would be rewarded with one hundred thousand gold coins. The courtiers and ministers were stunned. Building a palace in the air was against the laws of science and nature. However, knowing the King's temper, no one dared to oppose him openly. Weeks passed, but no one stepped forward. The King grew restless and threatened the ministers with severe punishment if work did not commence soon. Terrified, the ministers finally approached Tenali Rama and begged for his help. A few days later, an old man arrived in the court, weeping bitterly. His clothes were tattered, and he looked frightened. The King asked, 'What happened? Why are you crying?' The old man replied, 'Your Majesty, last night I had a dream. In that dream, you and your ministers came to my house, looted my entire life's savings, and burnt my house down.' The King turned red with anger and shouted, 'You fool! Are dreams ever real? How can you accuse me and my ministers for something that happened in a dream? Dreams are just play of the mind; they have no basis in reality.' Hearing this, the old man smiled and removed his disguise. It was none other than Tenali Rama. Tenali said, 'Your Majesty, if a robbery in a dream cannot be real, then how can a floating palace from a dream exist in reality?' The King realized his mistake. He understood that he had been stubborn about an impossible task. He praised Tenali Rama's wit and withdrew his demand.