Tenali Rama and Krishnadevaraya Stories
King Krishnadevaraya was the greatest emperor of the Vijaynagara Empire - an empire based in South India (Asia), in the Deccan region. He reigned from 1509 – 1530.
Tenali Rama was one of the eight court poets as well as a minister at the court of King Krishnadevaraya. Tenali is known for his brilliance, humor and wits.
King Krishnadevaraya was the greatest emperor of the Vijaynagara Empire - an empire based in South India (Asia), in the Deccan region. He reigned from 1509 – 1530.
Tenali Rama was one of the eight court poets as well as a minister at the court of King Krishnadevaraya. Tenali is known for his brilliance, humor and wits.
Thousand Gold Coins and a Handful Grain
Simhapuri was a prominent town in the Vijaya Nagar Empire. There lived a stunning beauty named Vidyullatha. She was a rich lady and well versed with prose, poetry and composition besides dance and music. Vidyullatha was famous as a proud woman in the region. A hoarding appeared on the compound wall of the woman’s house quoting as, “A reward of one thousand gold coins would be presented to those who can win over the Lady in the house. The competitors are required to prove their upper hand in humour, wit and scholarship.” This became a prestigious issue for the scholars in the region.
Many responded to the open invitation and barged into her house, individually, to test their fate through the fete. Surprisingly, everyone whoever walked into Vidyullatha’s house lost in the battle and came out with chins down. The list of losers was steadily growing and after sometime there were no takers to the invitation.
Days were passing like this. One morning, a vendor with a load of firewood on his head started shouting in front of her house, “Firewood…strong firewood…excess heat generating firewood…” he continued the sequence for sometime. Vidyullatha thinking that his noise was growing unbearable walked on to the threshold and enquired, “How much do you sell the load for?”
An instant reply came from the vendor, “I will not sell this for money. If you can give me a handful grain I will give you the entire load.” Assuring him to give more grains, Vidyullatha ordered him to dump the load in the backyard and return to collect the grains. The vendor unloaded the weight off his head then and there started to argue, “There is no bargain in this deal Madam! I will sell this to you only if you can give me a handful grain, did you get it” he stressed, “a handful grain.” The rich woman got disgusted with the vendor’s behaviour, “Hey you bloody vendor. Stop crying, I will give you what you wanted.” She said, “Throw them in the backyard and come here.”
The Vendor was adamant and made his firewood load’s price much clearer, “There is no change in the deal Madam. I said a handful grain…that means nothing more or less…it should be a handful grain. If you cannot pay the price, you should pay me one thousand gold coins and wipe the invitation hoarding on the compound wall.”
Vidyullatha yelled at him, “What nonsense are you trying to talk?” The vendor replied on par with her, “There is not any nonsense. I told you the price, you agreed for it and now if you cannot pay the price, stand by my wish. You should give the one thousand gold coins. That is it.”
The fire broke out between Vidyullatha and the firewood vendor. Both started arguing and shouting at each other. The local people started gathering in front of the house to witness and know what is happening and why the Lady was having a tiff with an ordinary vendor. Tired of shouting, both resorted to approach the provincial Court of Law for justice.
Vidyullatha presented her argument, “My Lord! This firewood vendor must have gone crazy. He is not ready to accede to my offer, though I wished to pay him more. He is sticking to his senseless argument to have a handful grain. He demands later for payment of a thousand gold coins and wiping away the invitation hoarding. I plead for justice.”
The Judge looked at the vendor and asked him what his problem was. Folding hands the vendor started in a humble manner, “Yes Your Majesty. She was right to some extent. However, I am not crazy. I informed her beforehand that the load of firewood would cost her a handful grain.”
He continued innocently, “When I was clear about a handful grain, she must have understood that I needed handful of grains. That was her mistake to mistake my quote for a handful grain. It means, one grain that fills the hand.”
What more? Vidyullatha was speechless. Obviously, the verdict was in favour of the vendor. Vidyullatha was unable to comprehend that a handful grain meant so much. Shocked with the development and the judgement, she was compelled to pay him one thousand gold coins and wipe off the invitation from the compound wall.
The people of the region knew about this and told themselves that the years old proud ness of Vidyullatha was shattered to pieces in a single stroke. By the way, the vendor was Tenali Ramalinga.
Many responded to the open invitation and barged into her house, individually, to test their fate through the fete. Surprisingly, everyone whoever walked into Vidyullatha’s house lost in the battle and came out with chins down. The list of losers was steadily growing and after sometime there were no takers to the invitation.
Days were passing like this. One morning, a vendor with a load of firewood on his head started shouting in front of her house, “Firewood…strong firewood…excess heat generating firewood…” he continued the sequence for sometime. Vidyullatha thinking that his noise was growing unbearable walked on to the threshold and enquired, “How much do you sell the load for?”
An instant reply came from the vendor, “I will not sell this for money. If you can give me a handful grain I will give you the entire load.” Assuring him to give more grains, Vidyullatha ordered him to dump the load in the backyard and return to collect the grains. The vendor unloaded the weight off his head then and there started to argue, “There is no bargain in this deal Madam! I will sell this to you only if you can give me a handful grain, did you get it” he stressed, “a handful grain.” The rich woman got disgusted with the vendor’s behaviour, “Hey you bloody vendor. Stop crying, I will give you what you wanted.” She said, “Throw them in the backyard and come here.”
The Vendor was adamant and made his firewood load’s price much clearer, “There is no change in the deal Madam. I said a handful grain…that means nothing more or less…it should be a handful grain. If you cannot pay the price, you should pay me one thousand gold coins and wipe the invitation hoarding on the compound wall.”
Vidyullatha yelled at him, “What nonsense are you trying to talk?” The vendor replied on par with her, “There is not any nonsense. I told you the price, you agreed for it and now if you cannot pay the price, stand by my wish. You should give the one thousand gold coins. That is it.”
The fire broke out between Vidyullatha and the firewood vendor. Both started arguing and shouting at each other. The local people started gathering in front of the house to witness and know what is happening and why the Lady was having a tiff with an ordinary vendor. Tired of shouting, both resorted to approach the provincial Court of Law for justice.
Vidyullatha presented her argument, “My Lord! This firewood vendor must have gone crazy. He is not ready to accede to my offer, though I wished to pay him more. He is sticking to his senseless argument to have a handful grain. He demands later for payment of a thousand gold coins and wiping away the invitation hoarding. I plead for justice.”
The Judge looked at the vendor and asked him what his problem was. Folding hands the vendor started in a humble manner, “Yes Your Majesty. She was right to some extent. However, I am not crazy. I informed her beforehand that the load of firewood would cost her a handful grain.”
He continued innocently, “When I was clear about a handful grain, she must have understood that I needed handful of grains. That was her mistake to mistake my quote for a handful grain. It means, one grain that fills the hand.”
What more? Vidyullatha was speechless. Obviously, the verdict was in favour of the vendor. Vidyullatha was unable to comprehend that a handful grain meant so much. Shocked with the development and the judgement, she was compelled to pay him one thousand gold coins and wipe off the invitation from the compound wall.
The people of the region knew about this and told themselves that the years old proud ness of Vidyullatha was shattered to pieces in a single stroke. By the way, the vendor was Tenali Ramalinga.
The Red Peacock
Krishna Deva Raya was very much interested in collecting exotic items from across his kingdom and abroad. Some of his ministers and courtiers exploited this weakness of the King. The wise minister, Tenali Rama, recognized this problem. He knew that bringing this directly to the King’s attention will only incur wrath. But Krishna Deva Raya was an intelligent monarch, so Tenali Ram waited for an opportunity to point out to the King his own flaw so that the King could make amends.
The cunning ministers and corrupt courtiers were having the time of their lives and fattening their purses by presenting the King fake and worthless objects touted as invaluable treasures. Chatur Pandit was the chief among these greedy ministers. His greed for gold coins from the King knew no bounds. He was always thinking of cleverer ways to extract more undeserving rewards from the King. Tenali Rama was watchful of Pandit’s activities.
One day, Chatur Pandit arrived at the King’s court with a red peacock!
The King was amazed.
Nobody in the court had ever seen such a spectacle before.
“This is truly the most exotic bird I have ever seen, “ remarked Krishna Deva Raya, his eyes widening in awe.
“What an extraordinary creature!”, chimed the courtiers in chorus.
Seeing that the moment was ripe, Chatur Pandit began to speak: “Your Majesty, It gives me immense pleasure to add to the royal menagerie this rarest of the birds. For the last two years, two of my loyal servants, well-trained in the sciences of animal tracking and hunting, had been scouring the dense forests across the world to capture it. Finally they managed to snare it from the densest jungles of Madhya Pradesh. I am glad to present to your Highness, the greatest king in the world, the fruits of our hard labor. With this priceless bird in your custody, your prestige will reach the heavens.”
Tenali Rama kept on observing the bird very carefully.
King Krishna Deva Raya was thoroughly impressed with Chatur’s presentation. “You are indeed our loyal courtier, Chatur Pandit,” he said, “Ask right away, how shall I reward you?”
“Being your humble servant is all the blessing I seek this birth,” fawned the cunning minister, “But I will be happy if the King can refund me the wealth I had to part with in order to fund the arduous expedition seeking this creature.”
“Absolutely!”, said the King, “Treasurer, I order you to pay Chatur whatever he demands.”
“One hundred gold coins,” shrilled Chatur Pandit without any delay.
“One moment, O Beloved King,” interjected Tenali Rama!
Everyone turned their attention to him.
“I think we should observe this bird in captivity for at least a week before paying for the expedition. I suspect that such a rare bird from the deep forest might find it difficult to survive in the new conditions. I volunteer to undertake another expedition to the densest jungles of Madhya Pradesh to bring back the brothers and sisters of this magnificent Red peacock so that it shall be happy to be in the royal zoo.”
Krishna Deva Raya leaned back on this throne. From the expression on Tenali Rama’s face, the King knew that his cleverest minister was up to something. The King had the highest regard for the intelligence of Tenali Rama. So he played along.
Before Chatur Pandit could voice his protest, the King stood up and commanded, “I here by order Tenali Rama to return to this court in two weeks with more specimens of the rare Red peacock species so that our menagerie can be enhanced.”
The King left the court and the courtiers followed. Tenali Rama remained seated till everyone had left. Then he walked over to the area were the peacock was displayed and picked up a feather that had fallen off.
It was clear to him that the red color had been painted on!
Tenali Rama did not attend the court for the next ten days. While this made Chatur Pandit very anxious, the King and other courtiers had forgotten about the “expedition” that was sanctioned. Tenali Rama had not left the town. He was not having a tough time trying to locate more red peacocks in the far away jungles. He remained happily at home. His spies tracked down the painter whom Chatur Pandit had employed to “create” the Red Peacock. The painter was terrified when he was brought over to Tenali Rama’s house.
“Don’t be afraid,” Tenali Rama calmed him, “You have done no harm. You did not know the hidden agenda of Chatur Pandit. In fact, your work was so flawless that the King and all the courtiers were convinced the peacock was naturally red. Now I would like to use your talent for a good cause. Paint for me ten more peacocks. I will make sure that your service is duly rewarded.”
On the 14th day after the expedition was sanctioned, a poster appeared outside the palace announcing:
“Triumphant return of Minister Tenali Rama. The family of the rarest of the birds - The Incredible Red Peacocks on display today. The display is only for one day at the court of the Emperor Krishna Deva Raya.”
The palace grounds were packed with people as the court assembled that day. The King himself arrived early, eager to find out what amusing trick Tenali Rama was going to pull.
As the clock struck ten, Tenali Rama entered the court. Following him were handlers pushing cages that held ten brilliant red peacocks.
“Long Live the King,” said Tenali Rama. “I have returned with the specimens as promised. I would like to be rewarded for the labor.”
“What a remarkable achievement,” said the King. “We are very pleased with you, Tenali Rama. I order the treasurer to pay you one thousand gold coins as the price of these ten red peacocks.”
“Actually your majesty that is not how much they cost,” said Tenali Rama.
“How much do you want?”, asked the King puzzled.
“I’d like to be paid a bucket of water, a bag of red ochre powder and one gold coin to reward the skill and labor of this artist,” said Tenali Rama pointing to the painter who had come along with him.
A dark cloud of fear descended on Chatur Pandit’s face when he recognized the painter. He knew he had been caught red-handed indeed. He began sweating profusely in anticipation of King’s anger and punishment.
Krishna Deva Raya realized that he had been tricked. He was about to order his soldiers to arrest Chatur Pandit when Tenali Rama spoke, “Dear King, do not be wrathful. Minister Chatur Pandit was instrumental in helping me bring an important matter to your attention. Beloved King, you were so blinded by your desire for power and prestige that you were willing to accept that a red peacock could really exist. You forgot how ridiculous it would be that a bird of this size with such a bright red coloration survived in a forest full of tigers, lions and other predators! Your arrogance in your wealth made you pay a price to possess such an exotic looking beast without even considering whether it is true or what is its worth.”
“O Just Emperor,” he continued, “ for some time now lot of the money from our treasury has been wasted in the acquisition of the exotic and the extraordinary. The true prestige of a King comes from the prosperity of each citizen in his Kingdom not from the display of wealth. I urge you to spare Chatur Pandit and reward this painter who helped me bring this to your attention.”
The King took couple of minutes to way the wise words of his brilliant minister. He realized his grave mistake. He promised Tenali Rama that he would be more prudent in future. He apologized to his citizens and courtiers for having abused the kingdom’s wealth in a trivial pursuit of prestige and status.
Chatur Pandit fell at the King’s feet seeking mercy. He was banished from the court for a month as a token punishment and was ordered to return all the previous gifts he had received from the court.
By then, monsoon clouds of the late morning had arrived. The peacocks were dancing at the sight of the thick black rain laden clouds. The pouring rain soon began washing off the red paint from them. King Krishna Deva Raya could not help laughing at this sight. He was very pleased that he had the good company of Tenali Rama to teach him good lessons whenever necessary. With such wise men to assist him, he felt confident about his reign.
The people danced in the rain at the good fortune of having a King who was not hesitant in admitting his mistakes and making amends. Chatur Pandit walked home alone in the rain.
The cunning ministers and corrupt courtiers were having the time of their lives and fattening their purses by presenting the King fake and worthless objects touted as invaluable treasures. Chatur Pandit was the chief among these greedy ministers. His greed for gold coins from the King knew no bounds. He was always thinking of cleverer ways to extract more undeserving rewards from the King. Tenali Rama was watchful of Pandit’s activities.
One day, Chatur Pandit arrived at the King’s court with a red peacock!
The King was amazed.
Nobody in the court had ever seen such a spectacle before.
“This is truly the most exotic bird I have ever seen, “ remarked Krishna Deva Raya, his eyes widening in awe.
“What an extraordinary creature!”, chimed the courtiers in chorus.
Seeing that the moment was ripe, Chatur Pandit began to speak: “Your Majesty, It gives me immense pleasure to add to the royal menagerie this rarest of the birds. For the last two years, two of my loyal servants, well-trained in the sciences of animal tracking and hunting, had been scouring the dense forests across the world to capture it. Finally they managed to snare it from the densest jungles of Madhya Pradesh. I am glad to present to your Highness, the greatest king in the world, the fruits of our hard labor. With this priceless bird in your custody, your prestige will reach the heavens.”
Tenali Rama kept on observing the bird very carefully.
King Krishna Deva Raya was thoroughly impressed with Chatur’s presentation. “You are indeed our loyal courtier, Chatur Pandit,” he said, “Ask right away, how shall I reward you?”
“Being your humble servant is all the blessing I seek this birth,” fawned the cunning minister, “But I will be happy if the King can refund me the wealth I had to part with in order to fund the arduous expedition seeking this creature.”
“Absolutely!”, said the King, “Treasurer, I order you to pay Chatur whatever he demands.”
“One hundred gold coins,” shrilled Chatur Pandit without any delay.
“One moment, O Beloved King,” interjected Tenali Rama!
Everyone turned their attention to him.
“I think we should observe this bird in captivity for at least a week before paying for the expedition. I suspect that such a rare bird from the deep forest might find it difficult to survive in the new conditions. I volunteer to undertake another expedition to the densest jungles of Madhya Pradesh to bring back the brothers and sisters of this magnificent Red peacock so that it shall be happy to be in the royal zoo.”
Krishna Deva Raya leaned back on this throne. From the expression on Tenali Rama’s face, the King knew that his cleverest minister was up to something. The King had the highest regard for the intelligence of Tenali Rama. So he played along.
Before Chatur Pandit could voice his protest, the King stood up and commanded, “I here by order Tenali Rama to return to this court in two weeks with more specimens of the rare Red peacock species so that our menagerie can be enhanced.”
The King left the court and the courtiers followed. Tenali Rama remained seated till everyone had left. Then he walked over to the area were the peacock was displayed and picked up a feather that had fallen off.
It was clear to him that the red color had been painted on!
Tenali Rama did not attend the court for the next ten days. While this made Chatur Pandit very anxious, the King and other courtiers had forgotten about the “expedition” that was sanctioned. Tenali Rama had not left the town. He was not having a tough time trying to locate more red peacocks in the far away jungles. He remained happily at home. His spies tracked down the painter whom Chatur Pandit had employed to “create” the Red Peacock. The painter was terrified when he was brought over to Tenali Rama’s house.
“Don’t be afraid,” Tenali Rama calmed him, “You have done no harm. You did not know the hidden agenda of Chatur Pandit. In fact, your work was so flawless that the King and all the courtiers were convinced the peacock was naturally red. Now I would like to use your talent for a good cause. Paint for me ten more peacocks. I will make sure that your service is duly rewarded.”
On the 14th day after the expedition was sanctioned, a poster appeared outside the palace announcing:
“Triumphant return of Minister Tenali Rama. The family of the rarest of the birds - The Incredible Red Peacocks on display today. The display is only for one day at the court of the Emperor Krishna Deva Raya.”
The palace grounds were packed with people as the court assembled that day. The King himself arrived early, eager to find out what amusing trick Tenali Rama was going to pull.
As the clock struck ten, Tenali Rama entered the court. Following him were handlers pushing cages that held ten brilliant red peacocks.
“Long Live the King,” said Tenali Rama. “I have returned with the specimens as promised. I would like to be rewarded for the labor.”
“What a remarkable achievement,” said the King. “We are very pleased with you, Tenali Rama. I order the treasurer to pay you one thousand gold coins as the price of these ten red peacocks.”
“Actually your majesty that is not how much they cost,” said Tenali Rama.
“How much do you want?”, asked the King puzzled.
“I’d like to be paid a bucket of water, a bag of red ochre powder and one gold coin to reward the skill and labor of this artist,” said Tenali Rama pointing to the painter who had come along with him.
A dark cloud of fear descended on Chatur Pandit’s face when he recognized the painter. He knew he had been caught red-handed indeed. He began sweating profusely in anticipation of King’s anger and punishment.
Krishna Deva Raya realized that he had been tricked. He was about to order his soldiers to arrest Chatur Pandit when Tenali Rama spoke, “Dear King, do not be wrathful. Minister Chatur Pandit was instrumental in helping me bring an important matter to your attention. Beloved King, you were so blinded by your desire for power and prestige that you were willing to accept that a red peacock could really exist. You forgot how ridiculous it would be that a bird of this size with such a bright red coloration survived in a forest full of tigers, lions and other predators! Your arrogance in your wealth made you pay a price to possess such an exotic looking beast without even considering whether it is true or what is its worth.”
“O Just Emperor,” he continued, “ for some time now lot of the money from our treasury has been wasted in the acquisition of the exotic and the extraordinary. The true prestige of a King comes from the prosperity of each citizen in his Kingdom not from the display of wealth. I urge you to spare Chatur Pandit and reward this painter who helped me bring this to your attention.”
The King took couple of minutes to way the wise words of his brilliant minister. He realized his grave mistake. He promised Tenali Rama that he would be more prudent in future. He apologized to his citizens and courtiers for having abused the kingdom’s wealth in a trivial pursuit of prestige and status.
Chatur Pandit fell at the King’s feet seeking mercy. He was banished from the court for a month as a token punishment and was ordered to return all the previous gifts he had received from the court.
By then, monsoon clouds of the late morning had arrived. The peacocks were dancing at the sight of the thick black rain laden clouds. The pouring rain soon began washing off the red paint from them. King Krishna Deva Raya could not help laughing at this sight. He was very pleased that he had the good company of Tenali Rama to teach him good lessons whenever necessary. With such wise men to assist him, he felt confident about his reign.
The people danced in the rain at the good fortune of having a King who was not hesitant in admitting his mistakes and making amends. Chatur Pandit walked home alone in the rain.
Akbar and Birbal Stories
Akbar was one of the greatest Mughal Emperor ruling in India (Asia) from 1556 to 1605. He had a group of nine courtiers known as "Navaratna" meaning nine jewels. Birbal was one of these nine jewels who was known for his intelligence and wits. By the end of Akbar's reign, local folk tales emerged involving Birbal’s interactions with Akbar, portraying him as being extremely clever and witty.
The Real King
The King of Iran had heard that Birbal was one of the wisest men in the East. He had a strong desire to meet him, hence he sent an invitation to Birbal to visit his country.
In due course Birbal arrived in Iran. When he entered the palace he was flabbergasted to find not one but six kings seated next to each other. All were dressed alike. “Who is the real king?” Birbal asked himself.
The very next moment he got his answer. Confidently, he approached the king and bowed to him.
The surprised king asked Birbal – “How did you identify me?”
Birbal smiled and explained; “The false kings were all looking at you, while you yourself looked straight ahead. Even in royal clothes common men will always look at their king for support.”
The king was highly impressed with Birbal’s reply and showered him with lots of gifts.
In due course Birbal arrived in Iran. When he entered the palace he was flabbergasted to find not one but six kings seated next to each other. All were dressed alike. “Who is the real king?” Birbal asked himself.
The very next moment he got his answer. Confidently, he approached the king and bowed to him.
The surprised king asked Birbal – “How did you identify me?”
Birbal smiled and explained; “The false kings were all looking at you, while you yourself looked straight ahead. Even in royal clothes common men will always look at their king for support.”
The king was highly impressed with Birbal’s reply and showered him with lots of gifts.
Flowers for Akbar
One day Akbar was taking a walk in his royal garden with several courtiers. The garden was full of bright colored flowers.
The Rajkavi (Royal poet) pointed towards a beautiful flower and said, "Look Sir, what a beautiful flower! No man can ever create something as beautiful as this.”
Birbal instantly said, “I beg to differ Rajkavi! Sometimes man can make better things than this.”
“I don’t believe it. No one can beat nature’s beauty. Birbal, can you prove what you are saying?” asked the Emperor.
Few days went by and one day Birbal presented a highly skilled craftsman in the Emperor’s court. He gifted an exquisite bouquet of flowers carved out of marble to the Emperor. The Emperor was highly impressed and rewarded him with one thousand gold coins.
Just then a small boy entered and gave Akbar a bunch of flowers (real ones). Akbar thanked the boy and gave him a silver coin. Birbal was waiting for this opportunity. In a soft tone he said – “So the man made thing was better than natural beauty!” Akbar understood what Birbal meant and smiled at his witty minister.
One day Akbar was taking a walk in his royal garden with several courtiers. The garden was full of bright colored flowers.
The Rajkavi (Royal poet) pointed towards a beautiful flower and said, "Look Sir, what a beautiful flower! No man can ever create something as beautiful as this.”
Birbal instantly said, “I beg to differ Rajkavi! Sometimes man can make better things than this.”
“I don’t believe it. No one can beat nature’s beauty. Birbal, can you prove what you are saying?” asked the Emperor.
Few days went by and one day Birbal presented a highly skilled craftsman in the Emperor’s court. He gifted an exquisite bouquet of flowers carved out of marble to the Emperor. The Emperor was highly impressed and rewarded him with one thousand gold coins.
Just then a small boy entered and gave Akbar a bunch of flowers (real ones). Akbar thanked the boy and gave him a silver coin. Birbal was waiting for this opportunity. In a soft tone he said – “So the man made thing was better than natural beauty!” Akbar understood what Birbal meant and smiled at his witty minister.
Painting by Birbal
Once Akbar ordered Birbal - "Birbal, make a painting for me. Use your imagination in it."
Birbal replied "Sir, I am a minister, how can I possibly paint?’
The king was angry and said 'If I don’t get a good painting within a week then you shall be hanged!’
The clever Birbal had an idea.
After one week, he went to the court and carried a covered canvas with him.
Akbar was happy to see that Birbal had obeyed him, until he opened the cover. The courtiers rushed to see what was wrong. They were stunned to see the painting!
The painting was nothing but the ground and the sky. There were a few specs of green on the ground.
The Emperor, angrily, told Birbal 'what is this?'
Birbal coolly replied 'A cow eating grass your majesty!’
Akbar shouted 'Where is the cow and the grass?'.
Birbal said 'I used my imagination. The cow ate the grass and returned to its shed!'
Birbal replied "Sir, I am a minister, how can I possibly paint?’
The king was angry and said 'If I don’t get a good painting within a week then you shall be hanged!’
The clever Birbal had an idea.
After one week, he went to the court and carried a covered canvas with him.
Akbar was happy to see that Birbal had obeyed him, until he opened the cover. The courtiers rushed to see what was wrong. They were stunned to see the painting!
The painting was nothing but the ground and the sky. There were a few specs of green on the ground.
The Emperor, angrily, told Birbal 'what is this?'
Birbal coolly replied 'A cow eating grass your majesty!’
Akbar shouted 'Where is the cow and the grass?'.
Birbal said 'I used my imagination. The cow ate the grass and returned to its shed!'
Birbal Passes The Test
Once a scholar came to Akbar’s court and expressed his desire to test the intelligence of his courtiers. Emperor Akbar was very proud of his courtiers and was confident that they would be able to clear the test given by the scholar. Thus, he encouraged the scholar to perform his test.
Next day all the courtiers gathered in the royal court and waited for the scholar to arrive. The scholar reached at the appointed time. He had a pot covered with a cloth. He put it on the floor and said, “If any one of you can tell me what lies in this pot, I would accept my defeat”.
There was pin drop silence in the court. None of the courtiers knew how to find out the contents of a covered pot. Then Birbal came forward, he uncovered the pot, peeped inside and said, “There is a flower inside the pot”.
The scholar said - “This is cheating! You opened the pot.”
Birbal promptly replied, “Sir you never said not to open it, you just asked what is inside the pot”.
The scholar realized that the clever minister had outwitted him. He humbly bowed to the Emperor and left.
Next day all the courtiers gathered in the royal court and waited for the scholar to arrive. The scholar reached at the appointed time. He had a pot covered with a cloth. He put it on the floor and said, “If any one of you can tell me what lies in this pot, I would accept my defeat”.
There was pin drop silence in the court. None of the courtiers knew how to find out the contents of a covered pot. Then Birbal came forward, he uncovered the pot, peeped inside and said, “There is a flower inside the pot”.
The scholar said - “This is cheating! You opened the pot.”
Birbal promptly replied, “Sir you never said not to open it, you just asked what is inside the pot”.
The scholar realized that the clever minister had outwitted him. He humbly bowed to the Emperor and left.
Akbar's Ring
It so happened that once, Emperor Akbar misplaced his jewel studded ring. As soon as Birbal arrived in the court, Akbar told him, “I have lost my ring. It was very dear to me as my father had given it to me as a gift. Please help me to find it.”
Birbal said, “You need not worry, Sir! I will find your ring right away.”
He further added, “Your Majesty, the ring is here in this court itself. It is with one of our courtiers. The courtier who has a straw in his beard has your ring.”
The courtier who had stolen the Emperor’s ring was nervous and immediately moved his hand over his beard. Birbal was waiting for this reaction from one of the courtiers. He immediately pointed towards that particular courtier and ordered the royal guards to search him. The guards found the Emperor’s ring in his shirt pocket.
Akbar was pleasantly surprised at another wonderful example of Birbal’s wit and asked him “Birbal, tell me how were you able to find the culprit?” Birbal then told the Emperor, “Your Majesty, I just shot an arrow in the dark. As it is rightly said that a guilty person is always scared, the real culprit revealed himself by moving his hand over his beard.”
Birbal said, “You need not worry, Sir! I will find your ring right away.”
He further added, “Your Majesty, the ring is here in this court itself. It is with one of our courtiers. The courtier who has a straw in his beard has your ring.”
The courtier who had stolen the Emperor’s ring was nervous and immediately moved his hand over his beard. Birbal was waiting for this reaction from one of the courtiers. He immediately pointed towards that particular courtier and ordered the royal guards to search him. The guards found the Emperor’s ring in his shirt pocket.
Akbar was pleasantly surprised at another wonderful example of Birbal’s wit and asked him “Birbal, tell me how were you able to find the culprit?” Birbal then told the Emperor, “Your Majesty, I just shot an arrow in the dark. As it is rightly said that a guilty person is always scared, the real culprit revealed himself by moving his hand over his beard.”
Birbal Catches a Thief
One day a rich merchant’s house was robbed. The merchant suspected one of his helpers at home to be the thief but did not know how he could prove that. So he went to Birbal for help and told him, “Only you can help me to find out the thief.”
Birbal assured the merchant that finding the thief won’t be a difficult task for him.
Birbal went to the merchant’s house and lined up the helpers. Then he asked them, “Which of you stole from the master?”
They all replied, “Not me!”
Birbal thought for a minute. Then he gave sticks of equal length to all the helpers and told them, “These are magical sticks. The thief’s stick will be two inch longer by tomorrow. I will come to see your sticks so be here at the same time tomorrow.”
The next day Birbal reached the merchant’s house at the scheduled time and asked the helpers to show their sticks.
One helper's stick was shorter by two inches.
Birbal confidently told the merchant, “Sir, he is the culprit.”
The merchant rewarded Birbal and asked him how he could find out the thief.
Birbal explained, “The thief cut his stick by two inches, thinking it would be longer the next day.”
Birbal assured the merchant that finding the thief won’t be a difficult task for him.
Birbal went to the merchant’s house and lined up the helpers. Then he asked them, “Which of you stole from the master?”
They all replied, “Not me!”
Birbal thought for a minute. Then he gave sticks of equal length to all the helpers and told them, “These are magical sticks. The thief’s stick will be two inch longer by tomorrow. I will come to see your sticks so be here at the same time tomorrow.”
The next day Birbal reached the merchant’s house at the scheduled time and asked the helpers to show their sticks.
One helper's stick was shorter by two inches.
Birbal confidently told the merchant, “Sir, he is the culprit.”
The merchant rewarded Birbal and asked him how he could find out the thief.
Birbal explained, “The thief cut his stick by two inches, thinking it would be longer the next day.”
The Gardener
One day, Akbar stumbled on a pebble in his garden while taking a stroll. He was already in a foul mood that day so this accident made him furious. He ordered for the gardener’s arrest and execution.
The next day, at the time of execution, the gardener was asked for his last wish before execution. He requested to be an audience in the royal court with the emperor. His wish was granted and he was taken to the royal court.
He greeted the emperor and then walked towards his throne, saying that he wanted to just have one last close look at the emperor. When he went close to the emperor, he loudly cleared his throat and spat at the feet of the Emperor.
The Emperor’s anger knew no bounds and he demanded to know why the gardener did such an outrageous thing. The gardener had done this on Birbal’s advice. Birbal stepped forward in the gardener’s defense and politely said, “I do not know of a person that is as loyal to you Sir! as this unfortunate gardener. Fearing that tomorrow people may criticize you for taking his life for a small reason, he went out of his way to give you a genuine reason for ordering him to be hanged. He has done his final duty for you. Now he can leave for his heavenly abode peacefully.”
The Emperor realized his mistake and set the gardener free.
Sweet Reply
One day Emperor Akbar startled his courtiers with a strange question – “What sort of punishment should be given to a person who pulls my moustache?”
“He should be whipped” said one of the courtiers.
The second courtier said – “He should be hanged.”
The third said – “He should be beheaded.”
Birbal did not give any suggestion. Then Akbar asked him – “What do you think Birbal, what should be the proper punishment for the person who pulls my moustache?”
“The person should be hugged and given sweets” replied Birbal.
“Do you know what you are saying? Have you gone crazy?” asked the king in an angry tone.
Birbal politely replied – “Yes me lord, the only person who can dare to do this can be your grandchild.”
The emperor was very pleased with the answer and rewarded Birbal with his jewel studded ring.
“He should be whipped” said one of the courtiers.
The second courtier said – “He should be hanged.”
The third said – “He should be beheaded.”
Birbal did not give any suggestion. Then Akbar asked him – “What do you think Birbal, what should be the proper punishment for the person who pulls my moustache?”
“The person should be hugged and given sweets” replied Birbal.
“Do you know what you are saying? Have you gone crazy?” asked the king in an angry tone.
Birbal politely replied – “Yes me lord, the only person who can dare to do this can be your grandchild.”
The emperor was very pleased with the answer and rewarded Birbal with his jewel studded ring.
One Difficult Question
One day a scholar came to the court of Emperor Akbar and challenged Birbal to answer his question and thus prove that he was worthy to be a courtier. He asked Birbal: "Would you prefer to answer a hundred easy questions or just one difficult question?" Birbal had a tiring day so he wanted to go home quickly and take rest. "Ask me one difficult question" said Birbal.. "Well then tell me which came first the chicken or the egg?" asked the man. "The chicken" replied Birbal at once. "How can you say so?" asked the scholar with a note of triumph in his voice. "We agreed on asking just one question and you have already asked it" said Birbal.. To this emperor Akbar was impressed and gave Birbal the permission to leave for the day. |