The man continued, “But, in reality, we had come here to test the skill of the Brahmin brothers. And we are happy to say that they have passed our test. Please forgive us.” The King was very happy. He rewarded the Brahmin brothers with many precious gifts. Days passed by. One day, the King got […]
They were quarrelling non-stop. They wanted to settle a dispute. They were fighting over a necklace. One said, “This necklace is mine.” The other said, “Do not lie. This necklace is mine.” They continued arguing. The King got angry over this and told them to be quiet. Both said they had proof that the necklace
Birbal was the favourite not only of Akbar, but also of his subjects, because he would solve their problems quickly. Once, a merchant came to him. A theft had taken place and he thought one of his five servants must be the thief. “Let’s go to your house,” said Birbal. On the way, he broke
Baital began telling another story to King Vikramaditya—“A Brahmin lived in the city of Magadha. He was a very religious person. He performed religious ceremonies for his clients. He had two sons. They were very talented. The first son could identify if there was wealth buried under the earth or whether there was water under
Baital continued, “If you knowingly do not answer my question correctly, I shall break your head into pieces.” King Vikramaditya replied, “No, the hermit cannot be blamed. It was the fault of the King. It is not possible to master a mantra by just reciting it without concentration. Though the King did all that the
The King was ecstatic. The hermit said, “Master the mantra by heart. Then recite it for thirty days standing in cold water and then again for thirty days sitting in the fire.” The King promised the hermit that he would follow his instructions. He learnt the mantra by heart. Then he recited it for the
So, the woman took the King inside the hut. But the King was surprised to see a palace there. The woman served him delicious food in gold utensils. King Jwalasen was attracted by the woman. He enjoyed the food as well as her company. After eating to his heart’s content, he lay down to rest.
Akbar always praised Birbal for his wit and intelligence. Because of this, one courtier was very jealous of Birbal. He told Akbar, “I have three questions for Birbal. If he answers correctly, I will accept that he is intelligent.” Akbar agreed. The jealous courtier asked Birbal, “Where is the centre of the Earth?” Birbal said,
After a while, the hermit opened his eyes. He saw the King sitting before him and asked, “Who are you? Why have you come here?” King Jwalasen told everything about himself to the hermit. Then he also mentioned that he was very hungry. The hermit replied, “I am hermit, so I have only fruits and
King Vikramaditya reached the peepal tree. He pulled the corpse down and putting it on his shoulder walked as usual. Baital again started telling him a story. “Once, there was a king named Jwalasen. He ruled the kingdom of Ujjain. But he was not a good king. The people did not like him. He was
The King got angry on hearing this. He could not believe his ears. He said, “You are insulting me now. I never take another man’s wife. It is also a sin to desire another man’s wife.” The furious King ordered death sentence for the maids.” Baital finished his story and said, “Vikram! Were the maids
King Samarjeet called the maids who had visited Chandramani’s house to meet Manimala. He said to the maids, “You had met Manimala and reported to me that she was not suitable for me. But I saw her today. She is very beautiful. Why did you lie to me?’’ The maids replied, “Your Majesty! It is
One morning, Akbar and Birbal were strolling in the royal garden. Akbar said, “My subjects always obey me.” Birbal replied, “But they also fear you, Your Majesty!” Akbar said, “Unbelievable! Prove it.” Birbal said, “Your Majesty, announce that the subjects should pour a pot of milk into a tub placed in the royal courtyard.” Akbar
The King heard them and changed his mind about marrying Manimala. When Chandramani came to know about the King’s interest in Manimala, he himself offered Manimala’s hand to the King in marriage. But the King refused straightaway. A disappointed Chandramani got Manimala married to Krishnanand who was a courtier of the King. Now, one day,
The King called his most trusted maids. He ordered them to find out if Manimala was suitable to be his bride. So, the maids left for their mission. They went to the house of Chandramani. There they met Manimala. They were blown away by her beauty. They talked with her and were highly impressed by