Mahadenamutta was an old man who lived in a quiet village in Sri Lanka. His hair had turned silver with age, and he wore a semi-circular comb, as was the fashion of his day. A pair of spectacles rested on his nose, giving him the look of a professor, even though his classroom was the village itself. He dressed simply in a white cloth and black coat, leaning on his walking stick wherever he went.
The villagers often spoke about the ancient book he kept, made from ola leaves. It was said that whenever he faced a problem, Mahadenamutta would open this mysterious book, study its faded writing, and find an answer.
He owned no land, no gold, and no steady income. Instead, his five devoted pupils worked odd jobs to provide for him. They loved their teacher deeply, and Mahadenamutta loved them in return.
Each pupil had been given a nickname by the old man. The tall, skinny one was Idikatu Pencha – “the big needle.” Then came Kotu Kithaiya, as thin and straight as a stick. The round-faced boy was called Polbe Muna – “half coconut face.” Rabboda Aiya had a great round belly like a toddy pot, while Puvak Badilla, with his narrow face, looked like the trunk of an arecanut tree.
The six of them lived together in a small wattle-and-daub hut. Mahadenamutta slept on the only rope bed, while the pupils lay on the floor around him, keeping watch like loyal guards. Their home was humble, with only one rickety easy chair as extra furniture.
But Mahadenamutta’s lessons were not of books and scrolls alone. He taught his pupils how to survive in this world, how to think in unusual ways, and how to solve problems with wit rather than force. Each one had a special role — Idikatu Pencha followed his master everywhere, Kotu Kithaiya could count and measure like a true mathematician, Polbe Muna acted as the village “doctor,” Rabboda Aiya worked with wood as a carpenter, and Puvak Badilla studied the stars, learning astrology under his master’s watchful eye.
They were not rich, nor were they always right in their decisions, but their stories, like the tales of Andare the Royal Comedian or Gamarala and the White Elephant, still echo in Sri Lanka’s folk tradition. Even today, people smile when they hear the name Mahadenamutta, the wise old man whose clever but sometimes foolish pupils brought as much laughter as learning.
If you enjoy Sri Lankan folktales, explore more in our Folk Stories collection or learn about the historic Galle Fort, a place where the echoes of old stories still drift through the streets.