On a cold winter evening, Emperor Akbar and Birbal were taking a walk along the royal pond. It was very cold winter evening. Almost all the lake and pond were frozen. Akbar put his hand in the lake, and immediately, withdrew it, because the water was biting cold.
Empeor Akbar asked Birbal, "Tell me Birbal! Will a man do anything for money?" Birbal replied, 'Yes'.
Then the Emperor ordered him to prove it. The next day Birbal came to the court along with a poor Brahmin who merely had a penny left with him. His family was starving.
Birbal told the king that the Brahmin was ready to do anything for the sake of money.
The king ordered the Brahmin to be inside the frozen pond all through the night without any attire if he needed money. The poor Brahmin had no choice. The man entered the royal pond. Akbar had his guards posted there to make sure that the Brahmin really did as promised.
The whole night he was inside the pond, shivering. He returned to the court the next day to receive his reward.
The king ordered the Brahmin to be inside the frozen pond all through the night without any attire if he needed money. The poor Brahmin had no choice. The man entered the royal pond. Akbar had his guards posted there to make sure that the Brahmin really did as promised.
The whole night he was inside the pond, shivering. He returned to the court the next day to receive his reward.
The king asked "Tell me, Oh poor Brahmin! How could you withstand the extreme temperature all through the night?"
The innocent Brahmin replied "I could see a faintly glowing light a kilometer away and I withstood with that ray of light."
Akbar refused to pay the Brahmin his reward saying that he had got warmth from the light and withstood the cold and that was cheating.
The poor Brahmin could not argue with him and so returned disappointed and bare-handed.
Birbal tried to explain to the king but the king was in no mood to listen to him. Hearing this, Birbal wanted to do some thing to set right the wrong done to the poor Brahmin. That evening Birbal invited Akbar for a tasty Khichadi in his humble abode. Akbar, though an emperor, kind and secular as he was, accepted Birbal's invitation thereby. Akbar and a few of him trusted courtiers arrived at Birbal's house.
After a long bout of Chess, the emperor's party was ready for dinner. Now and then, Birbal went in to check if the Khichadi was ready in the Kitchen. But the Khichadi was not getting cooked at all.
Akbar and the crew, waiting for dinner, were infuriated. All went to see what was happening in the kitchen. There they saw some burning twigs on the floor, and a bowl filled with Khichadi hanging five feet above the fire. Then the emperor Akbar could not help but laugh. Akbar questioned him "How will the khichdi get cooked with the fire one meter away? What is wrong with you Birbal?"
Birbal, cooking the khichdi, replied "Oh my great King of Hindustan! When it was possible for a person to receive warmth from a light that was a kilometer away, then it is quite possible for this khichdi, which is just a meter away from the source of heat, to get cooked."
Akbar understood his mistake. He called the poor Brahmin and rewarded him 2000 gold coins.
Akbar understood his mistake. He called the poor Brahmin and rewarded him 2000 gold coins.
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