The writer P. Lankesh tells us he had conceived this story in a flash, and likes to keep short to retain its authenticity. It is about a chance encounter with an old man in a coconut Grove near Chennarayapatna. He had come to garden from far away and worked for the owner of the garden. Well -versed in agriculture his hard work turned the fortunes of the owner. The owner became lazy and acquired bad habits and friends. The owner’s Wife started worrying and the old man understood her predicament. The old man narrated a story to the owner’s wife. It is about Tammanna and Basavaiah who were rivals. They competed against each other to acquire land, name, fame and even friends.

When Tammanna acquired 1000 acres of land Basavaiah forcibly took and fenced 200 acres of Tammanna ‘s Land. Tammanna tried many ways to get back his land but could not. He started composing ballads of his bitter experiences and sang them. Tammanna became Famous for his ballads and art became his goal of life. Even though Basavinah acquired material wealth he felt that he could not achieve what Tammanna had achieved through his ballads. Tammanna philosophically tells the owner’s wife that man needs wealth, education, art and many more things but he still lives a competitive life. And competition is the reason for his existence; if there was no competition these would be no reasons for man’s existence. Taking competition out of man’s life is death to him. He advises the owner’s wife to forget the story as if she had dreamed it.

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