Who is the Donkey?
Once Akbar went to the river with his two sons and wise Minister Birbal. On the bank of
the river, Akbar and his two sons took off their clothes and asked Birbal to take care of
them while they took bath in the river.
Birbal was waiting for them to come out of the river. All the clothes were on his
shoulder. Looking at Birbal standing like this, Akbar felt like teasing him, so he said to
him, "Birbal, you look like as if you are carrying a washerman's donkey load."
Birbal quickly retorted, "Sir, Washerman's donkey carries only one donkey's load, I am
carrying three donkey's load." Akbar was speechless.
Why is the Camel's neck crooked?\Akbar was very impressed with Birbal's wit
and wisdom. So one day Akbar promised him for many gifts. But it so happened that
several days passed, but there was no sign of gift. Birbal was very disappointed. He didn't
know what to do? One day when Akbar was taking a stroll at the bank of Yamunaa with
his dear minister Birbal, he happened to notice a camel. He asked Birbal, "Tell me Birbal,
why the camel's neck is crooked."
Birbal thought this is good time, so he thought for a moment and spoke, "Your Majesty, it
might be possible that the camel has forgotten to honor his promise made to somebody
that is why his neck is crooked. Scriptures mention that whoever will forget their
promises will have crooked neck. So this might seem the reason of his crooked neck."
Akbar soon realized that he promised to give some gifts to Birbal, but has not yet done
so. As soon as they arrived at the palace, the King gave him his reward.
So Birbal was so wise that he got what he wanted without asking for it.
Birbal visit to Heaven?
Because Birbal was very wise and witty, the Emperor's courtiers and other people used to
be jealous with him and used to find some way to degrade him.
One day the court barber, who was very jealous with Birbal, plotted a plan against him.
So when the King called him again to trim his beard, he went and started trimming his
beard. He said, "Sir, last night I dreamed about your father." The King got interested, so
he asked, "What did he say to you?"
"Sir, he said to me, that everything is good in paradise, but he feels a great absence of a
good humorous man who can amuse him." The King thought and thought, but nobody
else he could think of except Birbal who could perform this kind of duty very well. And,
naturally, the only way to go to heaven was through death. For a moment, Akbar was
very sad to lose such a good man, but thinking of his father, he made up his mind.
He summoned Birbal and said, "I think Birbal you love me very much and you can
sacrifice anything for me." Birbal tried to understand his point but couldn't guess. He
said, "You know Majesty, I do." "Then Birbal, please go to heaven to give company to
my dear father." Birbal understood that this was a wicked plan of somebody to kill him.
He said to Emperor politely, "I will do so, but I need a few days to prepare myself to go
to heaven." The King said, "Certainly. You are giving me such a great favor, I allow you
one week to prepare yourself."
Now Birbal was worried. He thought, somebody has planned very well and he could not
escape from this plan. He thought and thought. And then he found a way. He dug a ditch
near his house which would serve as his grave, and dug a tunnel too which would open in
a room of his house. After doing this, he returned to the Imperial Court. He said, " I am
ready, His Majesty, but there two conditions." Akbar was so happy to hear this that he
forgot that Birbal could put some odd conditions to him. He asked, "What are those
conditions? Tell me soon. I will try to fulfill them so that you can go to heaven to be with
my dear father."
Birbal said, "His majesty, I wish to be buried near my house. And I want to be buried
alive so that I can reach heaven alive to amuse your dear father." The King found this
logical and agreed up on them immediately.
So Birbal was buried alive near his house. Of course he made his way to his house where
he lived in confinement for six months. After six months, he came out of hiding with
grown beard and shabby hair and asked the permission to appear in the Royal Court.
Looking at him Akbar cried, "Where have you been Birbal?" Birbal said, "Your Majesty,
I was in Heaven with your dear father. I had a very good time there with your father. He
was so happy with my services that he gave me special permission to return to Earth."
Akbar was very anxious to know about his father, he asked, "Did he send any message
for me?" Birbal said, "Yes Your Majesty, he said that very few barber can make it to go
to Heaven, you can make out this from my grown beard and shabby hair, so he has asked
to send your own barber to him immediately.
Akbar understood everything. He gave Birbal a big prize, and his barber the life sentence.