Synopsis Tales of legendary courtiers and jesters have delighted people for centuries. Through their wit, wisdom and humour, such men saved themselves and others, even their kings, from ticklish situations. This book covers five such legendary characters: *Birbal was the most famous wit and one of the nine jewels in Emperor Akbar`s court. *Mulla Nasruddin is rated as one of the world`s most famous funsters and probably lived in ancient Turkey. A man of the masses, he did not enjoy much royal patronage. *Tenali Rama was a court jester during King Krishnadeva Raya's reign in Vijayanagar. He gained the confidence of the king and the people for his unique style of tackling problems, besides his keen wit and humour. *Appaji Rao was King Krishnadeva Raya's Chief Minister, who had the unique ability to unravel the truth underlying tricky situations, often humorously. *Maryada Raman was a judge during the reign of the Chola kings in south India, with an unerring instinct in meting out justice in cases where direct evidence was absent. Almost all tales in the book are humorous, with most containing ethical and moral principles.