Gonu Jha -1
Gonu
Jha was sitting in his bedroom. His domestic help Basua was also there. He told
him, “Basua, I have to go out for some work. Find out if it is raining.”
Basua
quipped, “Sir, a cat has just entered our home from outside. Please catch her
and check. If she is wet, it must be raining. If she is not, it must not be
raining outside.”
After some time, he told to Basua, “Basua, make the bed clean by dusting it. I want to sleep now.”
Basua
replied “You can sleep sir. I will dust your body in the morning.”
Again after some time, he told him - “Basua, switch off the light.”
Basua
– “Sir, please close your eyes. You will feel as if the light has been switched
off.”
Yet again after some time, he told to Basua, “Shut the door, Basua.”
Basua
– “Sir, you keep ordering me again and again . I have just done three of the
works that you have told me to do. Would you please help yourself this time?”
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Gonu Jha -2
Once Gonu Jha went to attend a social get-together with Basua. Many people were already gathered there. Someone asked Gonu Jha, “How come you got so late?”
Hearing this, Gonu Jha made an ‘hmmm’ sound.
Basua - “No, no. From a distance it looked like fifty feet. But when we approached, we saw it was only forty feet long.”
Gonu Jha again made an ‘hmmm’ sound.
Basua - “No, no. I killed the cobra using the stone, and then I actually measured it. It was only thirty feet long.”
Gonu Jha made an ‘hmmm’ sound again.
One day Gonu
Jha said to Basua – “Basua, all the time you keep on telling lies to people. Be
cautious while speaking.”
Basua told
him –“Sir, I unconsciously do so.”
Gonu Jha –
“Okay, from now on I will remind you. I will make an ‘hmmm’ sound whenever you
do so. Listening to this sound you have to be cautious.”
Basua –
“Sure sir.”
Once Gonu Jha went to attend a social get-together with Basua. Many people were already gathered there. Someone asked Gonu Jha, “How come you got so late?”
Before he
could open his mouth, Basua replied, “We encountered with a fifty feet long
cobra on the way while coming here. I killed that snake using a stone. That’s
how we got late.”
Hearing this, Gonu Jha made an ‘hmmm’ sound.
Basua - “No, no. From a distance it looked like fifty feet. But when we approached, we saw it was only forty feet long.”
Gonu Jha again made an ‘hmmm’ sound.
Basua - “No, no. I killed the cobra using the stone, and then I actually measured it. It was only thirty feet long.”
Gonu Jha made an ‘hmmm’ sound again.
This time
listening to this sound, Basua said, “Sir, you are just irritating me! Now I
have caught the snake and actually measured it. You tell me, how can I shorten
the length even further?”
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Disclaimer: Anecdotes of
Gonu Jha are famous in the region of Mithila. He held the same place in the
court of King Hari Singh (in the 13th Century) as Birbal did in the
court of King Akbar, and Tenaliram did in the court of King Krishndev. There are
several humorous folktales about him, depicting him as a witty and wise man.
But he is a lesser known personality in other parts of our country. My efforts are
to make people of other regions also enjoy stories about him.
Stories of Gonu Jha are liked specially by Children.
Stories of Gonu Jha are liked specially by Children.
