PANCHTANTRA
STORIES
BIRBAL'S
KHICHRI
On a cold winter
day Akbar and Birbal took a walk along the lake.
A thought came to Birbal that a man would do anything
for money. He expressed his feelings to Akbar. Akbar
then put his finger into the lake and immediately
removed it because he shivered with cold.
Akbar said "I
don't think a man would spend an entire night in
the cold water of this lake for money."
Birbal replied "I
am sure I can find such a person."
Akbar then challenged
Birbal into finding such a person and said that
he would reward the person with a thousand gold
coins.
Birbal searched far
and wide until he found a poor man who was desperate
enough to accept the challenge. The poor man entered
the lake and Akbar had guards posted near him to
make sure that he really did as promised.
The next morning
the guards took the poor man to Akbar. Akbar asked
the poor man if he had indeed spent the night in
the lake. The poor man replied that he had. Akbar
then asked the poor man how he managed to spend
the night in the lake. The poor man replied that
there was a street lamp near by and he kept his
attention affixed on the lamp and away from the
cold. Akbar then said that there would be no reward
as the poor man had survived the night in the lake
by the warmth of the street lamp. The poor man went
to Birbal for help.
The next day, Birbal
did not go to court. The king wondering where he
was sent a messenger to his home. The messenger
came back saying that Birbal would come once his
Khichri was cooked. The king waited hours but Birbal
did not come. Finally the king decided to go to
Birbal's house and see what he was upto.
He found Birbal sitting
on the floor near some burning twigs and a bowl
filled with Khichri hanging five feet above the
fire. The king and his attendants couldn't help
but laugh.
Akbar then said to
Birbal "How can the Khichri be cooked if it
so far away from the fire?"
Birbal answered "The
same way the poor man received heat from a street
lamp that was more than a furlong away."
The King understood
his mistake and gave the poor man his reward.
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