Once Akbar expelled Birbal from his court in anger. In rage, the emperor asked Birbal to quit the capital city as well. Birbal was hurt. But he left the city and started living in a village hiding his identity.
On the other hand, Akbar appointed his brother-in-law in Birbal's place as the chief minister. Though inexperienced and immature to handle the critical position, Akbar had to appoint him as minister on the request of his wife. But soon, complains related to the new minister's inefficiencies started coming. Akbar decided to himself check his brother-in- law's intelligence.
Next day Akbar visited tomb of a saint far away from the city with his brother-in-law. There he saw a large footmark of an elephant. Akbar asked the new minister to protect the footmark and himself returned to the palace.
Back in the palace, the minister spelled his woes over the task assigned to him by the emperor. He requested the king to excuse him and explained his dilemma. The king said nothing and dismissed the minister.
Much to his agony, the new minister sat in extreme sun to guard the footmark. He went hungry as there was no one around the place who could bring him food; etc. The second and the third days passed similarly. By the fourth day, he became too feeble to bear hunger and hot weather. Therefore, the starved minister returned to the palace.
On his return, the minister went to the council of the king. He pleaded the king to excuse him for said task. He explained how difficult it was for him to protect the footmark. The king dismissed him without saying anything and thought to himself, 'Birbal must be brought back. The new minister does not seems to work with his brain'.
Now, Akbar thought of a way to find Birbal. He send his men to make a public announcment declaring, 'there has been a serious dispute between the government and landlords. Therefore, the emperor has asked all the landlords to meet him with their wells. It is imperative that all landlords come to the council of the emperor next day with their wells, else they would be asked for a sum of ten thousand rupees as the fine'.
Soon the message reached the landlord of the village where Birbal was quietly residing. The landlord got angry on hearing the order. He said, 'I cannot understand how can one move well. Has the king gone insane? What makes him send such weird order? But I will go, else they would fine me ten thousand rupees- which is a big sum'.
Birbal who was sitting nearby the village chief heard the landlord's plight. He understood that the king had an unsaid intention to find Birbal though his compelling orders. He smiled mutely and went to the landlord of the village. Birbal sat with him, asking and discussing how he would take the village wells to the emperor's council. Then he suggested a plan to the landlord, hearing which the landlord's face brightened up.
Next day, the landlord along with his men moved towards the capital city of Delhi. But they did not enter the city and waited there. The landlord send one if his messenger to the king saying, 'Our Majesty, we have arrived here with our wells as asked by you. We request you to send your wells here to collect our wells'.
The message soon reached Akbar. Hearing the logic, Akbar acertained that Birbal was around. He asked his men to bring the landlord and interrogated him. The landlord revealed that a stranger had been residing in their village for past few weeks. 'Though I do not know his name, yesterday he gave this plan when he heard your orders', said the landlord.
The king further asked the landlord about the appearance of stranger. He was convinced that the stranger was none other than Birbal himself. He asked his men to follow the landlord to his village.
Akbar's message was conveyed to Birbal. Birbal returned to the capital with thecroyal team. He was very warmly welcomed by the emperor and reappointed as the chief minister of tthe council. This came as an insult for the former minister. Bursting in rage, he went to Akbar and asked him to assign the same task to Birbal and let him prove his mettle. Akbar agreed. He called Birbal and said, 'Tomorrow, we shall visit the tomb of Saint in the city with you'.
Birbal agreed and next day they went to the same tomb of saint. The elephants which roamed the area, created a fresh footmark seeing which Akbar said, 'Birbal, can you protect this footmark?'
Birbal agreed. Akbar left for the palace. Soon, Birbal installed an iron rod near the footmark and fixed a fifty yard rope to it. Then he called the villagers and briefed them, 'This footmark has religious significance. The state intends to protect it. Hence we are circumnavigating it over a distance of fifty yards. Whoever’s house falls inside the circumference of this rope shall be demolished'.
People were stuck by fear hearing the Birbal's words. After this they met him in person and bribed him to prevent any action which could harm their homes. Birbal tactfully handled each one of them. He collected a sum of about one lakh as bribed money by the people. Soon after, this he deposited the money in the royal treasury. He informed the king about the work. The king was elated to know how tactfully Birbal handled the situation.
Akbar called his former chief minister (who is hisbrother-in-law) and tild him how Birbal protected the foomark and generated the additional revenue. The former minister was wordless. He left the capital itself in anguish and shame.
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