14
A garland maker owed the palace but kept missing deadlines. Tenali paid the debt with fragrance.
He brought baskets of loose jasmine and filled the court until talk slowed under sweetness. “Your Majesty,” he said, “the man owes coins; meanwhile, his craft pays the city nightly.” The king converted the debt into service: garlands for public wells and temples for a season. The maker repaid double in reputation.
