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
One day, Akbar said to Birbal, “We say God is kind, but sometimes I feel God is unfair. Many are blessed with good health, while many are ill. Some are poor; some are rich. If God is our father, why does He treat His children differently?” Birbal explained, “Your Majesty, if all was well, who
There lived a short-tempered Brahmin in Akbar’s kingdom. One day, he found a strand of hair in his food and shouted at his wife, “This should never happen again, or I shall punish you!” After a week, the Brahmin found a strand of hair in his food. “Enough! Your hair shall be shaved today!” he
One day, a messenger from a distant kingdom visited Akbar’s court. He said, “O Emperor, our king has heard many tales of your courtiers and their intelligence. He wants a pot of intelligence from your kingdom.” Akbar whispered to Birbal, “This king is making fun of us. How can we fill a pot with intelligence?”
One day, Fazalji, the royal painter, went to Birbal. He said, “Please help me.” Birbal asked, “What happened?” Fazalji replied, “Liaqat Ali asked me for a portrait. I spent a day painting his picture. He had a beard and a moustache then. But the next day, Liaqat Ali refused to accept it. He had shaved
One day, Akbar noticed that the plaster had peeled off in some of the rooms. “Dholak! I want these walls repaired immediately,” he ordered his servant. The next day, Akbar saw that the walls had not been repaired. He was angry. “Dholak! Come here!” he screamed. Dholak looked at the walls and said, “Pardon me,
One day, Akbar’s servant, Sevakram, rushed to visit Birbal. He looked scared. Birbal asked, “What is the matter, Sevakram?” Sevakram said, “A holy man had gifted a parrot to the emperor. His Majesty had asked me to take care of the bird. But he had also said whoever would inform him about its death would
One evening, Akbar, Birbal and several courtiers went for a boat ride. Akbar saw a twig floating by. He picked it up and said, “If any of you crosses this river just by holding this twig, I will make him emperor for a day.” The courtiers felt this was impossible. But Birbal said, “I will
Birbal’s wisdom was famous all over the world. Once, a king from another kingdom wanted to meet Birbal. He invited Birbal to his palace. Birbal visited the king. The king was very impressed with Birbal’s wit and wisdom. When Birbal’s stay came to an end, the king gave him many gifts. As he left the
One day, Akbar said, “Birbal, I have a challenge for you.” Birbal asked, “What is it, Your Majesty?” Akbar said, “Bring two persons to the court tomorrow. The first person should be extremely grateful and loyal.” Birbal said, “How should the second person be?” Akbar smiled and said, “The second person should be the exact
One day, a woman came to Akbar’s court with a man. She said, “Your Majesty, this man snatched all my ornaments.” The man said, “I’m a visitor, Your Majesty. This woman brought me here to meet you.” Birbal asked the woman, “How much were your ornaments worth?” She said, “Six thousand gold coins.” Birbal knew