On a cold winter evening, King Akbar and his minister Birbal were taking a walk on the banks of a river next to the palace. As they walked they debated about what a person would do for money.
“Money is a great motivator. A person who desperately needs money will do anything for it. A dishonest man might steal or kill. But an honest man will labor for it, even if he has to work very hard or risk his life.” said Birbal.
“I disagree! A truly desperate man will never earn money through honest methods. Find me a man like that and I will then believe you.” responded Akbar.
Birbal smiled and said, “See that old man wearing tattered clothes and sleeping under the tree in this cold weather. I am sure he needs money desperately. Let’s ask him.”
Akbar and Birbal walked up to the old man and woke him up. Akbar told him that he would be rewarded with one thousand gold coins if he spent the whole night standing in the cold river water. Desperate to change his circumstances, the old man agreed. Akbar posted his guards to keep a watch over the old man, lest he cheated.
The next morning the old man, accompanied by Akbar’s guards, entered the palace and went to Akbar. The guards mentioned that the old man did not step out of the river even for a minute throughout the night, neither did he sleep off.
Akbar was surprised. He asked the man how he managed to stay awake and stand still in the cold water the entire night.
“There was an oil lamp burning in a palace room facing the river. I kept watching the flickering of that oil lamp throughout the night. It helped me stay awake and alert.” replied the man.
Akbar was angry. “You have cheated!”, he said. “It was the light of the oil lamp in my palace that kept you warm, so you never felt the chill of the water. You have cheated the King, you don’t deserve the reward!” He ordered his guards to throw the old man into the prison for fooling the king.
The old man was tearful, but he could not say anything. After all, Akbar was the king.
Birbal watched everything silently. He knew the king was being unfair, and he thought of a method to make Akbar realize his mistake.
The next morning, Birbal did not come for the morning assembly at the palace. Akbar sent a guard to check on him. The guard came back and conveyed Birbal’s message, “I am cooking a special khichdi* for the king. I will report to the palace once it is ready.”
Hours passed and morning turned into afternoon. Akbar was excited and eagerly waiting to taste this special khichdi. By evening, when there was still no sign of Birbal, Akbar could no longer control himself. He hurried out of the palace to Birbal’s home.
But what did he see there!
Birbal was sitting in the courtyard of his house, burning a small fire on the ground with twigs and leaves. A clay cooking pot hung almost twenty feet above the ground above this measly fire. The guards burst out laughing. Akbar turned red with anger.
“Birbal, do you not know how to cook?!” he exclaimed. “How will the heat from this fire reach the cooking pot? Your khichdi can never get cooked this way!”
“If the heat from an oil lamp in the palace can give warmth to an old man standing in the river on a cold winter night, I am sure this fire can also heat up my clay pot and cook the khichdi.” Birbal responded. “Don’t worry my King, the special khichdi I am preparing for you will be ready very soon.”
Akbar realized his mistake. He immediately ordered his guards to release the old man from the prison and rewarded him with the promised one thousand gold coins.
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* khichdi – stew made with rice and lentils
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