One day Akbar asked his courtiers, 'Tell me, which is the brightest thing in this world?'
The courtiers gave various answers. One of them affirmed that cotton was brightest, while the other said ice was brightest. Some courtiers said flowers are brightest while other maintained that milk was brightest. A long discussion trailed but finally most f the courtiers agreed that cotton and milk are the brightest things.
However, Akbar noticed that Birbal was silent. He asked him, 'Birbal, won't you tell us what is the brightest thing according to you?'
Birbal replied, 'My majesty, I think the brightest thing in this world is the sunlight'.
Akbar said, 'Birbal can you prove it?'
Birbal agreed to prove his point but asked the emperor sometime for it.
Akbar smiled and said, 'Birbal, I grant you all the time you need to prove that sunlight is the brightest thing in the world according to you'.
Some days passed. One afternoon Akbar was resting in his chamber. It was quite and dark inside. Nothing could be seen. Birbal walked inside the chambers with a lamp and quietly kept a bowl of milk and some cotton at the doorstep of the chamber.
Few hours later, when Akbar he headed towards the door in dark. His feet hit the bowl and the milk spilled on the floor. He rushed to open the door to ascertain what went wrong. When Akbar opened the door, he saw cotton and slipped milk lying around. He was surprised and saw Birbal coming towards him. Birbal smiled coaxingly towards Akbar.
Akbar asked him, 'Birbal, looks like this was your mischief? Why?'
Birbal asked Akbar, 'My Majesty it seems that you didn't see the bowl of milk and cotton at the doorstep'.
Akbar plainly replied, 'How could I see Birbal? It is completely dark here. It was only when I opened the door that O realized that these things were lying here'.
Birbal exclaimed, 'My Majesty, the point is proved - you could not see the cotton and milk in the darkness. It was only in light that you discovered these things to be lying at the doorstep. Sunlight is the brightest thing in this world. It illuminates all other bright things!'
Akbar smiled and gifted Birbal with his emerald ring.
No comments :
Post a Comment