One day Birbal received
an invitation for a grand feast from a rich man who lived in a nearby city. Since
the men who send the invite was a man of great repute and had royal
affiliation, Birbal could not let his invitation down. So he took a day off from the royal court and
went to there.
It was a very
hot noon. When Birbal arrived at the man’s place, he was warmly greeted by him.
The house was full of people who went hither thither serving the guests.
Birbal loathed
crowed places. He said, ‘Friend, I am surprised to see the large gathering
here. In fact, I was not aware that you have invited so many guests’.
The man smiled
and replied, ‘Birbal, there are only guests here – you and one other. All other
people here are my servant’.
The man had
heard a lot about Birbal’s wit and presence of mind. He decided to take a check
and said, ‘Birbal, could you identify the other guest here?’
Birbal said, ‘Maybe
I could. I should observe them’.
He asked the man
to mingle around, talk with them and then gather them all and crack a joke. The
man did as Birbal asked. After talking and mingling around, the man cracked a
joke bad as it could be. He laughed out loudly on the joke.
Seeing this,
people around uproariously laughed with him.
The man then
returned to Birbal and asked him, ‘Birbal could you make out who my other guest
is?’
Birbal pointed
out the man to him. The man was amazed. He said, ‘Yes he my other guest. But
tell me how did you figure that out in this large gathering?’
Birbal explained, ‘People
who serve you tend you agree with you – they will laugh with you even on your
silliest jokes. All people gathered here laughed on you rather worthless joke,
except this man who would not bother to agree with you. In fact he looked bored
and gave a sigh of disgust on your joke’.
The man was pleased by
Birbal’s observance and keen insight into people’s behavior.
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