One day, Birbal saw his neighbour, Raghuram, yelling at a fortune-teller, asking him to go away. Birbal asked the fortune-teller, “Why did he drive you out?” The fortune-teller said, “I asked him to stop being greedy as that would lead to his downfall. I advised him to donate alms to the poor. How could I […]
Akbar had a habit of collecting beautiful candlesticks. He had a special chamber where his collection was displayed. The servants were given strict instructions to be careful while cleaning the room. One day, while a servant was dusting the mantelpiece, one of the candlesticks fell and broke. Akbar was beside himself with rage. He ordered
One day, Birbal decided to visit his relatives in another city. He set off on his carriage. Birbal’s relatives were not hospitable people. They did not like to entertain guests. When they saw Birbal’s carriage approaching, they quickly thought of a plan to send him away. They went to the balcony and pretended to have
Akbar had a special cupboard. Whoever touched the cupboard would get stuck to it. One day, Akbar called Birbal and said, “Please get me an apple from that cupboard.” When Birbal touched the cupboard, he got stuck. Try as he might, he couldn’t free himself. Then onwards, Akbar often teased Birbal. He would ask, “How
One evening, Akbar and Birbal were walking along the banks of the Yamuna. Akbar loved the sound of the flowing river. He told Birbal, “Listen to the river, Birbal. I feel it is crying. Can you tell me why it is crying?” Birbal stared at the river for a while. He thought, ‘This is a
One day, an old lady visited Birbal. She was in tears. Birbal asked, “What happened?” The old lady said, “I had a son who died in battle and I am all alone.” Birbal wiped her tears and said, “Do you have anything to give the emperor?” The old lady said, “Yes, my son’s sword. Birbal
Once, Akbar and his courtiers were discussing the qualities of generosity and kindness. Akbar said, “The hand of the giver is always above that of the receiver.” Everyone in the court pondered over the thought and agreed with him. However, Birbal said, “I do not agree with you, Your Majesty. The hand of the giver
Once, there lived a sage in Akbar’s kingdom. An old lady came to him and said, “Please keep my life’s savings with you until I return.” The sage said, “I stay away from wealth. Bury them in a corner of my hut.” The old lady did so and left. She came back after many months.
Akbar knew a lot about many religions and was always eager to learn more. Once, he asked Birbal, “Why did Lord Krishna rush to help his devotees? Didn’t He have servants? Birbal said, “I shall answer that tomorrow, Your Majesty.” Then he ordered a craftsman to make a wax idol of Prince Khurram, Akbar’s grandson.
Once, there was an old miser in Akbar’s kingdom. He had a wooden box in which he kept all his money. One day, the miser’s hut caught fire. He rushed outside and cried, “My money box! Please save it!” One of his neighbours said, “I shall save it, but I will only give you what
Once, an ambassador from a neighbouring kingdom visited Akbar. Akbar said, “Be my guest.” The ambassador had brought many gifts with him and he gave them to Akbar and his courtiers. Then he said to Akbar, “There are many alchemists in our country. They can turn any metal into gold. Our country also has many
Akbar and Birbal had just finished having a lavish meal. Birbal said, “Pardon me, Your Majesty! But I think you are becoming fat.” Akbar said, “It’s because of all the rich food the cooks serve every day.” Birbal said, “No, Your Majesty. It is because you have no worries. A well-fed person with worries can
One day, a messenger from a neighbouring kingdom came to Akbar’s court. The king had sent many gifts for Akbar and Birbal. The messenger gave them the gifts and said, “My king has heard about Birbal’s wit. He wants to test Birbal. He has a question for Birbal.” Akbar said, “Go ahead. Birbal shall never
Akbar and Birbal shared a close relationship which had its share of strange twists. There were times when Akbar would get angry with Birbal and banish him from the court. During one such incident, Birbal went away. Akbar’s soldiers searched for Birbal, but in vain. Akbar knew Birbal could not resist challenges. So he announced
Akbar’s kingdom was famous for its beauty and grandeur. One day, a messenger from a distant land came to Akbar’s court. He said, “Our king sends his greetings. He wants to visit your kingdom. But our king is old. He wants to know the number of turns in the streets of your kingdom as he