Author and publisher: Demi, Scholastic Press
Summary: This book tells the story of a raja in India who believes that he is wise and fair as a raja should be. Every year and on his order, the raja’s rice collectors gather nearly all the rice the people grow, and it is kept in the royal storehouses in case of hunger. One year, famine comes, but the raja refuses to share the rice with the people in the village. Rani, a young village girl, works out an original and clever plan. She does a good deed for the raja, and in return the raja wants to reward her. Rani asks for one grain of rice, doubled every day for thirty days. The raja finds it a very modest wish and consents to giving her the reward. Doubling the number of grains turns out to have a surprising power, and by the end of thirty days, the raja’s storehouses are emptied. In this way, Rani teaches the raja a lesson about what it means to be wise and fair.
Suitable for students in years: 5-10