This story is taken from Thai Children's Favorite Stories - Fables, Myths, Legends and Fairy Tales by Marian D. Toth

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Once long ago, when Thailand was Siam, the country was ruled by a most powerful man. The mention of his name made men tremble, women hide, and children as still as pebbles along the side of the road. As mighty ruler of all Siam, he held power over life and death in the palm of his hand.

This great king lived a life of luxury. He sat upon a golden throne, slept upon a golden bed and wore a tiered crown of gold. His royal feet never touched the ground. He hardly ever walked. Kings in those days used a palanquin, a special kind of chair, in which they sat proud and tall while servants carried them from one place to another. His food was served on plates of gold. His clothes were woven from golden thread.

Understandably, the name of this king was “God Over My Head.”

The king’s servants and guards were tense beyond belief. Their eyes observed each movement of his hands, for even a small gesture could be a command. Their ears listened carefully for every word that he might utter. They responded whether he stuttered, whispered, or spoke in a roar.

Everyone feared the king. The farmers, the hunters, the astrologers too, shared the fear with the men who trained elephants, the men who made bronze, the men who dug ditches and created klong canals. The king was, as his name implies, the god over their heads. No one dared to give advice to him, for he would very easily lose his temper. Now, far away from the palace wall, there lived a man who wasn’t in the least bit fearful. He was called Sri Tanonchai. Unlike the king, the mention of his name made people smile and say, “Sri is the wisest man in the land. Sri knows the mystery of sea and sand. Sri knows all there is to know. He’s so smart, he hasn’t any foe!” The fame of his cleverness spread all over the land until he was known simply as Sri of Siam.

This man’s memory was incredible. He knew everything by heart. People wore a path to his door as they came to him with their questions. And strange as it may seem, he always knew the right answer.

“Sri, shall I be the father of a boy?” asked a proud young man one day.

“Ah, yes, you shall be the father of a-a-a baby. And if it is not a girl, most certainly it shall be a boy,” said Sri with a smile.

Sri lived in a bamboo hut in the shade of a coconut tree on the banks of a lazy brown river. He sat on his haunches, as he had no chair. He slept on a mat on a bare floor. He ate rice and fish and simple curries from a banana leaf plate. His clothes were made of coarse cotton thread. His eyes were sparkling black and bright, and as full of mischief as there is heat in the noontime sun. The fame of Sri reached every corner of the land. One day, the most royal ruler, God Over My Head, overheard his elephant trainer say, “If you don’t know the answer, ask Sri. Puzzles, riddles, prophecies, past or future history, recipes, remedies, cures for the cobra’s bite or how to dance the ramwong … Sri knows everything.”

The king stood still and held his breath. “Why, this cannot be. That man speaks as if no one was as smart as Sri. I am the king of my country; never will it be said that a common man has more wit than God Over My Head.”

He started out that very day on a mission of revenge. “I’ll find Sri, and then we shall see who is smarter!” he said to himself.

He set off proudly on his royal elephant, but he had made sure to dress in a manner quite unlike a king. As a matter of fact, he looked like a king’s elephant boy. After a day, a night, and one more day, the king found his way to the door of the bamboo hut on the river’s edge where Sri Tanonchai lived.

The king roared, “Sri of Siam, come here please!” Sri smiled a big broad grin instead of being cross.

“Sawaddi, good day, good sir. Come and sit down. You appear to have had a very long ride. May I help you in some way?”

The king said, “Sri, I have heard of your fame and I’ve come to put you to a test.”

“There is nothing I like better than a test,” said Sri.

“Sri,” said the king, “are you as clever as people say?”

“Who knows?” said Sri.

“Not I,” said the king. “That is why I am here. I came to find out, one way or another, if you are as clever as our king.”

“But how can this be?” asked Sri. “The king has never sent for me. I’ve never seen the face or heard the voice of King God Over My Head.”

“Sri, that problem is easy to solve, because I know the king most intimately and the only person as clever as he — is me! I can tell you with authority. I am his only equal.”

“Your elephant has a noble look. No doubt you are one of the king’s best. Now, shall we match our wits in a simple contest?” asked Sri.

“Fine,” said the king. “We shall match wits today. You must find a way to make me get into the river. You see, I’ve never liked even the thought of getting wet. Yet, a man who is clever could find a way of enticing me into the water.” Sri walked back and forth stroking his chin. There was a sparkle in his eye. He glanced at the river, at the king, and then with a sigh he said, “Good man, you are clever. Clever indeed! I would need magic to make you get in. I guess you win this part of the contest.”

The king smiled victoriously as Sri continued talking.

“Chai, as much as I want to,” he said stroking his chin, “I don’t think I could ever make you jump in. But if you were in, and it were my task to make you get out — oh! That would be the ultimate test of my cleverness.”

For the king these words of victory were sweet. Without a pause, he leapt from the bank into the muddy river. Sri began to laugh as he heard the king say, “Sri Tanonchai, you won’t live another day if you can’t get me out of the water at once. Prove how clever you are right now. Prove your wit to the king.”

Sri’s face was one big smile. “Your Highness, why don’t you stay there and think for a while? As far as I’m concerned, you may stay in the water forever if you wish. The river is full of tasty fish, and I’ll bring you a dish of rice now and then.”

The king looked as if he were going to explode when Sri said, “I won your challenge. There is no doubt. You asked me to make you jump into the river, and there you are.”

The king had no more to say. He had been outwitted. He climbed out of the river as lifeless as a broken toy. He nodded to Sri and said, “You are indeed a clever man!”