One winter day, Emperor Akbar and Birbal were walking by a lake. A thought struck the emperor, and he posed a challenge to Birbal, “Do you think a man can stand in the cold lake overnight for a reward?”
Birbal replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty, if the reward is substantial.”
Akbar then announced that he would give a thousand gold coins to anyone who could stand in the lake all night. A poor man volunteered, hoping to feed his family with the reward. He stood in the freezing water through the night, keeping his eyes fixed on the lamp in the palace window as a source of hope and warmth.
The next morning, the man approached Akbar for his reward. However, the emperor, in a rather unfair twist, dismissed the man’s claim, stating that he had warmed himself with the palace’s light and therefore did not deserve the reward.
Feeling cheated, the man sought Birbal’s help. Birbal promised to secure the man’s reward and invited Akbar to dinner the next evening.
When Akbar arrived, he found a pot of khichdi (a rice and lentil dish) placed far away from the fire. Hours passed, and the khichdi remained uncooked. An impatient Akbar questioned Birbal, “How will the khichdi cook from so far away?”
Birbal calmly replied, “The same way the poor man received warmth from the palace lamp, Your Majesty.”
Realizing his mistake, Akbar laughed and rewarded the poor man his due gold coins.
This story highlights Birbal’s cleverness in teaching Akbar a lesson in fairness and empathy. If you’d like more stories or have a specific theme in mind, feel free to ask!