Akbar became king when he was just 13. Eventually, he formed a vast empire. He knew he was a great man and this made him arrogant. Due to this, Akbar acted inconsiderately towards his subjects at times. Birbal did not like this since Akbar was otherwise a kind man. One day, Birbal disguised himself as […]
One day, Akbar told Birbal, “There shall be a huge music competition next week. Invite the best musicians and Birbal, you shall participate, too.” On the day of the competition, when the participants had gathered in the royal hall, Akbar announced, “I’m sure you’re all great musicians in your own right. But the winner will
One morning, Akbar was walking in the garden. He was deep in thought when he stumbled against a small rock and hurt his foot. Angrily, he sent for the royal gardener. He told the gardener, “I hurt my foot because of you. You shall be sentenced to death tomorrow.” The gardener’s pleas fell on deaf
Akbar and Birbal shared a close relationship. This made the courtiers jealous of Birbal. One of them said to Akbar, “Your Majesty, why do you listen to Birbal and ignore our suggestions?” Akbar thought he should prove that Birbal was better than the rest. A marriage procession was passing by and Akbar asked the jealous
Once, a couple went to visit a saint with their niece. The saint was blind. But as soon as the niece saw the saint, she cried, “This man killed my parents. Punish him!” The saint said, “How can a blind man like me kill someone? Take this girl away.” The couple came home but they
Akbar would ask Birbal the trickiest of questions to test his intelligence. One day, he said to Birbal, “I have a simple question for you, Birbal. How many bangles does your wife wear?” Birbal said, “Your Majesty, I do not know.” Akbar said, “She serves you food every day. Yet, you don’t know.” Birbal replied,
One day, Akbar said to Birbal, “You can solve any problem in a jiffy. You must be good at painting too.” Birbal said, “No, Your Majesty! I can’t even hold a painting brush.” Akbar angrily said, “I am an art‑lover. You cannot say ‘no’ to me. I want you to imagine and create a painting.
There are people who think wealth is necessary to earn respect. Akbar thought so, too. He asked Birbal, “Is it possible for a man to be poor and yet earn respect?” “Yes, Your Majesty,” replied Birbal. Akbar said, “If this is possible, find such a person and bring him to me.” Birbal went out on
One day, Akbar wanted to know how many blind people lived in his kingdom. He asked Birbal about it and Birbal replied, “Your Majesty, please grant me a week’s holiday to find the answer to your question.” Akbar granted him leave. The next day onwards, Birbal stopped going to the royal court. Instead, he began
There was a wealthy man in Akbar’s kingdom. He bought a handsome horse. But within a few months the horse started limping. The man called many veterinarians to examine his horse but they could not cure it since there was no sprain, fracture or wound. The man thought, ‘Only Birbal can cure my horse.’ After
Birbal and his daughter were in the spice market, when a man came to him and said, “Are you the famous Birbal from Akbar’s court?” Birbal said, “Yes, I am.” The man said, “I have heard great tales about your generosity. I have come all the way from a distant city just to meet you.
One day, two men entered the royal courtroom. One of them said, “Birbal, please help me. My name is Aamir. I am a tradesman. I had gone abroad after entrusting my servant with my property. But when I returned, I saw that my servant has stolen all my money and is using my name. He
Birbal was not just blessed with a clever mind. He also had a different way of looking at every situation. He had a positive attitude. One morning, Akbar was upset with a dream he had. He sent for many renowned astrologers. When they all reached his palace, he asked them to interpret the dream he
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
One day, Akbar wanted to test Birbal’s wit. When Birbal entered court, Akbar said, “I have a few questions for you.” Birbal settled into his seat and said, “I’m ready, Your Majesty. Let’s begin.” Akbar said, “The sun and the moon are high up in the sky. Is there anything they cannot see?” Birbal said,