BLIND EYES

The Empress came to her husband. Emperor Akbar and said, "My Lord, I want to donate charity to each and every blind person in the city."

Akbar ordered for a list of all the blind men in the city to be made. The list was prepared within a day and given to Akbar.

Akbar said, "I think the courtiers could prepare the list so soon because there are very few blind people in our city."

Birbal said, "But, Your Majesty, I have to say one thing. More than the blind people, there are many people who have eyesight, yet cannot see."

Akbar did not believe him, so Birbal said, "I will prove myself right in a few days."

After some days, Birbal sat on the roadside stringing jute ropes on a cot.

Two men, passing by, asked him, "What are you doing, Birbal?"

Birbal had a clerk standing next to him. He said, "Start writing one, two."

The clerk wrote as asked. As Birbal continued stringing the cot, more people asked, "What are you doing?" and Birbal continued his counting. "Eighty-one, eighty two, eighty-three."

Soon this news reached the palace and Akbar too came to see for himself, what Birbal was up to.

Akbar saw Birbal stringing the cot.

He could not understand why Birbal was doing this, so he also asked, "Birbal, what are you doing?"

Birbal did not look at Akbar. He went on stringing the cot and spoke out, "Two hundred and fifty."

Birbal stopped stringing t cot and took the paper with the numbers from the clerk and gave it to Akbar saying, "Your Highness, I had promised that I will give you the list of people who had eyes but could not see. Here are two hundred and fifty names of such people. Please see it. Each of these people could see me stringing the jute in broad daylight, yet asked me what I was doing."

Akbar said, "That is good. I am convinced now. Let me see the list."
Akbar went through the list as everyone stood silently. Then Akbar suddenly shouted, "Birbal, why have you written my name here?"

Birbal smiled and said, "Your Majesty. You were the last one to come and ask me what I was doing."

Akbar laughed, saying, "Very true, Birbal. I did ask you that question."