Saturday, January 30, 2010

Call him at Once

Hello Children, I am back again with another interesting story of Birbal!!!!!

One morning Akbar woke up early. Rubbing his fingers over his stubble he called out, "Is anyone there? Quick! Call him at once!"

The guard outside his chamber was thoroughly confused. He thought to himself, "Whom is the Emperor calling, he didn't name anybody in particular. The guard was too frightened to ask the Emperor to repeat his order. 

The guard sought the help of another guard. That guard in turn spoke to a third. The third mentioned it to a fourth. Finally all the guards inside the palace knew of the Emperor's order. There was utter confusion, as nobody knew whom the Emperor had called for.

At that time Birbal happened to be taking a walk in the garden. Seeing the guards in total confusion, he guessed the Emperor must have made a strange request. He called one of the guards and asked him "What is the matter? Why are all the guards running around confused?"

The guard  told Birbal about the Emperor's order. He said, "His Majesty has not mentioned anyone in particular. Whom should we call? We do not know what to do. If we do not get anyone, the Emperor will be very annoyed with us. What shall we do, Sir?"

"Hmmm! Tell me what the Emperor was doing when he gave the order" asked Birbal. The attendant pondered a while, "Nothing unusual Sir, he was just rubbing the stubble on his chin."

Birbal smiled, for he knew whom the Emperor wanted. He said to the guard, "Take the barber to the Emperor immediately".

The guard called the barber and took him immediately to the Emperor. The Emperor thought to himself, "How come the barber is here? I did not mention anyone in particular."

The Emperor asked the guard, "Tell me, was it your idea to call the barber or did someone help you?"

 "Your Majesty, it was Birbal's suggestion," said the guard.

Once again Akbar was impressed with Birbal's wisdom.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Birbal's Journey to Paradise

The Akbar Court barber nursed his hatred for Birbal and plotted against him daily. One day he stuck upon a plan and so,when Emperor Akbar next called him to trim his beard,he said: "You know, Your Majesty,last night I dreamed about your Father".

The Great Mughal at once showed interest, "Tell me what he said to you".

"He said he is very happy in paradise,but he says that all the inhabitants of Heaven are terrible bores. He would like you to send someone who can talk to him and keep him amused".

Of course, no one possessed wit like Birbal and although Akbar prized him very much, to appear his poor father in Paradise, he would consent to give him up. Naturally, the only way of reaching Heaven is through Death.

When Birbal responded to the Emperor's summons, Akbar said : "I think you love me enough, Birbal, to make any sacrifice or my sake".

"You know I do Your Majesty" Birbal said.

"Then I would like you to go to Heaven and keep my dear Father company".

"Very Well", Birbal said, "but please give me few days to prepare".

"Certainly", said the Mughal, delighted, "You are doing me a great favour". "I will give you a week time".

Birbal went home and dug a deep pit,which would serve as his own grave.But he also excavated a secret tunnel that opened under the floor of his house,then he returned to the Emperial Court.

"Your Highness" he said, "in accordance with an old family tradition,I would like to be buried near my house and. if you don't mind,I would like to die by being buried alive. It is easier to get into Heaven that way, you know".

So, to the great happiness of the court barber, Birbal was buried alive. Ofcourse he made his way at once through the tunnel into his own house,were he stayed in concealment for over six months.

At the end of that time, with his hair and beard grown long and shaggy, he came out of hiding, and obtained an audience with the Great Mughal.

"Birbal" cried the Emperor. "Where have you come from?"

"From Paradise,Your Majesty. I spent such a lovely time with your Father that he gave me special permission to return to earth".

"Did he give you any message or his Son?"

"Just one,Your Highness, Do you see my whiskers and long hair? Well, it seems very few barbers make it to Heaven. Your Father asks you to send him yours at once".


Retriving the Ring

Once Akbar threw his gold ring into a dry well and asked his minister's to retrieve it without climbing down into the well.
The ministers scratched their heads and thought deeply but soon had to admit defeat. Birbal, however, could never resist a challenge.
"Your Majesty, you shall get back your ring by sundown", he declared.
Birbal took some fresh cow-dung from the ground and threw it on top of the ring. He tied a stone to one end of a long piece of string and retaining the other end, threw the stone on the dung. After a while, when he felt sure that the cow-dung had dried completely, he pulled the string up. To everyone's surprise the cow-dung came up and stuck at the bottom was Emperor's ring.





All for the Best

Birbal constantly asserted that everything happens for one's own good. Emperor Akbar, who was young, was distrustful of Birbal's wisdom and questioned the minister's constant, optimistic assertion.


One day while handling a sword, the Emperor chopped off the tip of his little finger. Birbal immediately told the Emperor not to worry, everything that happens has a purpose behind it and that purpose is for good. The Emperor became exceedingly angry with Birbal and threw him in jail.


The Emperor bandaged the little finger for few days and then as a diversion, went into the forest to hunt. He was later separated from his hunting party and eventually captured by a tribe of cannibals intending to make human sacrifice. The Emperor was bound like a sacrifice lamb and taken before the temple.When the temple priest examined him, the priest announced that he could not be sacrificed because he was not a perfect specimen,since the front portion of one finger was missing. As he was not fit to be sacrificed, the Emperor was released.


On his return, the Emperor thanked God for injuring his finger and thereby sparing his life then immediately went to the prison to meet Birbal.


"O, Birbal", please accept my apologies for imprisoning you. Now I understand how my injury was for the best. But tell me why did God allow me to imprison you? How is it for the best that you have been confines here due to my angry?


Birbal replied," Your Majesty, if I had not been in prison, you would surely have taken me with you when you went for hunting, and when the forest cannibals rejected you for their sacrifice, they would surely have found me an excellent substitute!"