Usually Andare would accompany the King and his Ministers to the Royal Pond. Andare said he ate the jambu fruits but did not see or touch them as the king had ordered and demonstrated it. The king told Andare that he was going to punish him for disobeying. The guards caught him and took him to the King. He covered his eyes with cloth and went under the jambu tree with his hands clasped behind his back and ate the jambu. Andare wanted to eat the fruit and thought of a good plan. The jambu tree in the king’s courtyard blossomed with fruit, but the king had ordered that no one was to look at or touch it. A few famous tales have been translated below for your amusement, however they may have lost their punch in the process.
It is said that even in death Andare amused people as a corpse with his arms stretched open. Though the credibility of the facts are questionable, Sri Lankans love him and for may generations throughly enjoyed tales of his whimsical life. After his death he was buried in the town of Udamala, allegedly his hometown, where is tomb can be found on the banks of the Udamalala wewa. Despite being a mere joker, the tales suggest Andare had a superior intellect that aided him in turning situations to his favour. Another theory is that he hailed from the Southern town of Matara and was called to the Kandyan empire where he served as the jester. So, did this daredevil really exist? There are high chances that Andare was an imaginary caricature born out of the minds of intellects who dared to sneer at the lack of intelligence and vanity of society. Whether the underlying message of his prank and witticism was understood was understood remains a mystery that never bothered dear Andare! The beauty of his character, was that he just didn’t care.
People took no offence for his light-hearted humour, for ultimately the situation became very amusing.
His true talent however lay in his ability to get away with sheer mockery directed at even the King, who at times tried to get the better of Andare but failed. Andare was also an accomplished poet, who could instantly compose verses, to suit any situation. They mainly highlight the mindlessness of others, and pranks. Most of the stories, have a comical ending with Andare getting the better of villagers and even the King. For those who haven’t, here’s an introduction.Īndare was a court jester whose witty acts and satirical comments entertained both royals and commoners alike. If you grow up in Sri Lanka, then the famous fables of “Andare” would undoubtedly be a part of your childhood.
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