Once, a Brahmin named Sevaram came to visit Birbal. He did not have much wealth and lived a simple life. He was sad. He said to Birbal, “I come from a family of scholars. I do not want wealth. Everyone addressed my ancestors as ‘Panditji’. I want everyone to address me the same way.” Birbal said, “That is easy. Just ask everyone not to address you by that name.” A few children lived near Sevaram’s house. Birbal told the children that Severam will not like it if they addressed Sevaram as ‘Panditji’. When they called him ‘Panditji’, Sevaram would shout, “Don’t call me ‘Panditji’.” This made the children laugh. They went around telling everyone that they should call him ‘Panditji’. Soon, everyone in the city began addressing Sevaram as ‘Panditji’. After some time, he stopped scolding the children when they addressed him as ‘Panditji’. Now he was a happy man.
Birbal and the Brahmin
