Akbar Birbal: Four Fools

Once, Akbar asked Birbal to find four fools in his kingdom and being them to him. Birbal was amused at the Emperor’s wish and said, “Jahanpanah, it is not a difficult task as this world is full of foolish people. All I need is a of few days.” Akbar readily granted Birbal’s request and gave him few days time to look out for the fools in his kingdom.

Having taken permission from the Emperor, Birbal started looking for the fools. One day, he saw a man carrying a large plate full of clothes, sweets and other expensive gift items. Out of curiosity, Birbal asked the man, “My dear man, for whom are you carrying so many costly gifts?”

The man replied, “These gifts are for my wife! She has left me and married someone else and now she has just been blessed with a baby boy. So, I have bought all these gifts for her.”

When Birbal heard the man’s reply, he thought of him as the ideal candidate to present before the Emperor. Birbal asked him to appear in the royal court whenever he called him.

Soon after, Birbal saw another man who was clumsily sitting on a buffalo and carrying a bundle of grass over his head.

Birbal asked him, “Why are you carrying this bundle over your head?”

The man replied, “Sir, my buffalo is pregnant. Don’t you think it would be cruel on my part to load this heavy bundle of grass on her at this time? I care about her very much and that is why I am carrying the bundle of this grass over my head.”

Birbal could not help smiling and asked the second man also to appear in the royal court on at given time.

Next morning, Birbal called both the men to court and presented them to Akbar as the biggest fools in the kingdom. Akbar asked, “But these are only two fools. I had directed you to bring four fools to me. Where are the other two?”

Birbal folded his hands and said, “I beg your pardon , Alampanah, the third fool is none other than you, who asked me to bring these fools to you and the fourth fool is me, who has brought these fools to you.”

The Emperor burst out laughing at Birbal’s humourous reply and commended him for his ready wit.

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