Vikramaditya and the Tricky Vedala: A Tale of Honesty and Bravery

In a far-off land where the hills were covered in snow and the nights were long and dark, there lived a great king named Vikramaditya. He was kind and just, and his people loved him dearly. One day, Vikramaditya was out hunting in the forest when he stumbled upon a strange creature. It was a vedala, a mischievous creature known for its cunning ways. The vedala beckoned to the king, and Vikramaditya, being the brave and curious man that he was, went closer to investigate. The vedala smiled wickedly and said, "O great king! I have a proposition for you. If you can answer my riddles, I will give you a great reward. But be warned, if you fail, I will devour you!” Vikramaditya was taken aback but he was not one to back down from a challenge. 'Just one riddle,' he thought to himself, 'How hard can it be?' The vedala started off with an easy riddle, "What has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?" Vikramaditya thought for a moment. He had heard this riddle before! "It’s a human being!" he exclaimed, proud of himself for having remembered the answer. The vedala was impressed. "You are right, O great king!" he said. "One more riddle, and if you can answer it correctly, I will give you a great treasure." Vikramaditya eagerly awaited the next riddle. "What is always in front, but can’t be seen?" The king was stumped. He thought and thought, but he could not come up with an answer. He knew he had failed, but Vikramaditya was a man of his word. The vedala smirked and said, "Since you couldn't answer my riddle, I get to have you for my meal!" Vikramaditya sighed, but he knew he had to face the consequences of his failure. But before the vedala could pounce on him, the king had an idea. "Vedala," he said, "I may have failed your riddle, but I promised you a meal. And I always keep my word. So, I will let you have me for dinner, but on one condition." The vedala raised an eyebrow. "What condition could you possibly have, O great king?" "I want you to eat me with my clothes on," replied Vikramaditya. The vedala was taken aback. "What a strange request! But why would I care if you have your clothes on or not?" "It's simple," explained Vikramaditya. "I have a magical shirt on me. Once you eat me, you will acquire all my powers. But if you eat me with my clothes on, the shirt will protect me. And once you eat me, you will have no magical powers." The vedala was intrigued by this idea. "Alright, accomplished one. I will eat you with your clothes on, as you wish." And so, the vedala picked up Vikramaditya and brought him back to his lair. After tying the king up securely, the vedala opened his mouth wide to devour him. But the moment he bit down, he was wracked with pain. The magical shirt Vikramaditya wore was not just a myth. It did, indeed, protect him from harm. And so, the vedala was unable to eat him. Frustrated and defeated, the vedala let Vikramaditya go. But the king had learned an important lesson. It was better to keep his word, even if it meant facing a tricky adversary like the vedala. From then on, Vikramaditya never made a promise he could not keep. And the people of his kingdom continued to adore him for his honesty and bravery.