Thursday 15 August 2013

Searching for Birbal



One day Birbal, in jest, made a remark against the King and this got the King very upset. Akbar ordered Birbal not to enter the court again. Still unable to calm himself down, Akbar ordered Birbal not to set foot in Agra again.

Birbal, unable to face his angry King, decided to leave the Kingdom. After a few days, when he became calmer, the King started missing Birbal and repented his hasty decision. He did not know how to search for Birbal. He went around the kingdom trying to find a way out.He saw a saint walking towards him. Akbar fell at the saint’s feet and explained his predicament to him. The saint thought for a while and told the Jahanpannah to set a very difficult task to the people of his kingdom.

“Surely, if Birbal is around he will help someone in solving the problem”, said the holy man.The King understood what the saint meant and went back to the palace, thinking of a problem which only Birbal could solve.

On reaching the palace Emperor Akbar announced that the man who walks to the palace half in shade and half in sun, without using an umbrella, on a sunny day will get 1000 gold coins.The Emperor was quite confident that Birbal would find some way of finding a solution.

After a couple of days, a man, holding a string cot over his head, entered the palace. He addressed Akbar, “Huzoor, I came walking half in the shade of the jute strings and half in the sun. Therefore, please give the 1000 gold coins as you had promised” he said bowing before the Emperor. A beautiful smile adorned the Emperor’s lips and a visibly relieved Akbar took a bag of gold coins. But before handing over the coins to the man, he asked him how he hit upon the idea.

The man now feared that he may not get his prize and hesitated. Akbar made him relax and told him that he could take his gold coins. The King was only curious to know and would not punish him or deny him, his prize money.The man told the court that he there was a guest who has been staying in his house and that the guest had given this idea.

The King then politely requested the man to bring the guest to court the next day.

The following day, Akbar’s court was well decorated and geared up to welcome Birbal again!

Purest love and respect for each other kept the mighty Emperor and his loyal minister always together!

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