One day, the royal gardener went to Birbal and said, “Sir, someone has stolen my gold coins! I had hidden them under the pear tree.” Birbal asked, “Had anyone seen you hiding it?” The gardener said “Nobody else knew about it.” Birbal called the royal doctor and asked, “Have you treated anybody with medicines made […]
Once, Akbar could not start an important meeting because Birbal was late. When Birbal finally arrived, Akbar was angry with him. “Birbal! Why are you late?” he thundered. “Your Majesty, my child was crying. I was trying to calm him down,” replied Birbal. Akbar said, “You don’t know anything about children.” Birbal replied, “Your Majesty,
Once, two men rushed to Birbal for help. One of them was a poor man. He had a bundle of clothes on his head. He said, “Sir, I was walking in the hot sun with the bundle of clothes. I was tired, so I took the load off my head and rested under a tree.”
Once, an old man and his neighbour went to Birbal. The old man said, “I gave my valuables to my neighbour before going on a pilgrimage. I am back, but my neighbour refuses to return them.” The neighbour said, “This man never gave me any valuables.” Birbal asked the old man, “Does anyone else know
Once, the king of a neighbouring country invited Birbal to his palace. The king had heard a lot about Birbal’s wisdom. He was jealous of Birbal and was rude to him. But Birbal bore everything with a smile. Some time later, the king’s guards told him, “An old beggar has entered the royal garden!” The
One day, Akbar said to Birbal, “Lying is bad. There are people who tell lies many times in their lives. I have neither told a lie in my life nor will I ever do so.” Birbal said, “Your Majesty, sometimes we lie to avoid hurting someone.” Akbar said, “I don’t think so. I will never
Akbar was very fond of hunting. He would frequently go on hunting expeditions. Slowly, the animals of the forest were decreasing. Birbal was worried. He wanted to let the emperor know that it was wrong to kill animals and birds for pleasure. The next time Akbar went hunting, Birbal accompanied him. Once in the forest,
One day, two merchants named Dhanamal and Sonamal came to Akbar’s court. Akbar asked, “What is the matter?” Dhanamal said, “Your Majesty, I had borrowed money from Sonamal and promised to return it within a week. Dhanamal told me that I would have to give him the flesh of my pet peacock if I couldn’t
Once, some of Akbar’s courtiers who were jealous of Birbal told Akbar, “Your Majesty, if Birbal can do anything and everything, he can also bring you the milk of an ox.” Akbar asked Birbal to do so. Birbal went home and told his plan to his daughter. At night, Birbal’s daughter went to the royal
One day, Akbar’s courtiers were discussing about God. Birbal said, “Whatever God does is for the ultimate good of everyone.” A courtier asked, “I lost my toe in an accident. How is it good for me?” Birbal said, “Only God knows His ways. Time will prove that I am right.” A few days later, Akbar
There lived a poor Brahmin in Akbar’s kingdom. One night, he had a strange dream. He dreamt that his friend gave him some money. The Brahmin met his friend the next morning and told him about this dream. The friend who heard that he had lent the money to the Brahmin was a cunning man.
One day, some villagers entered Akbar’s court. They bowed before Akbar and said, “Your Majesty, we will die of thirst. There are no wells in our village. Every day, we travel to the neighbouring village to bring water. Please help us!” Akbar thought, ‘I had ordered a courtier to get wells dug all over my
One day, the royal guards brought a bird catcher into Akbar’s court. The man said, “Your Majesty, I have a beautiful gift for you. I hope you will accept it.” Akbar said, “Certainly. What is it?” The man brought in a cage, with a golden peacock in it. All the courtiers gasped in wonder. None
It is a well-known fact that Akbar was a generous king. On the eve of Eid, he announced, “Eid is a time to enjoy with friends and family. Hence, tomorrow is a holiday. Enjoy the festival with your loved ones. But, before you leave, pick a gift.” He pointed to a table, which was heaped
One day, Hussain, one of Akbar’s courtiers, told him, “Birbal has been your trusted courtier for long. Please give me a chance.” Akbar replied, “You must prove yourself. Accompany Birbal to Burma and give my letter to the king.” Birbal and Hussain left for Burma. Birbal gave the letter to the king, who read it