THE WINNING LIE

The king liked Sheikh because he found him very simple, but his son, the prince, did not like him at all.

One day the prince decleared that he would have a competition to find out who could tell the biggest lie.

Many people came and told lies but the prince would say, "This is not a lie. This can happen."

One person lied, "I have seen ants as big as elephants."

Another quipped, "I have a watermelon plant growing inside me because I ate the seeds of a watermelon."

"But that could happen, so that is not a lie," denied the prince.

When all the liars had been sent away, Sheikh Chilli requested, "May I speak, My Lord?"

"Yes, you may. So what does your little brain say?" asked the prince.

"It says that you are the biggest fool and you should not be made the king," declared Sheikh loudly and firmly.

Everyone was shocked. The prince shouted, "Arrest Sheikh."

Then Sheikh said, "My Lord, you wanted to hear a lie and this is the biggest lie." Now the prince could not say anything to Sheikh.

Everyone started laughing and the prize money was given to Sheikh Chilli.

The qutab minar

In Delhi, Sheikh went to see the Qutb Minar.

All the people standing there were looking up to see the very tall pillar like tower.

A man told them that King Qutbuddin had made this very tall tower called Qutab Minar.

It was made so that a priest could go on top of the building and shout out to the people of Delhi that it was time for prayers which they called 'aazaan'.

One person looking at the tall tower of the Qutab Minar wondered, "There were no cranes and machines. Then how did they construct this building?"

Another man started joking and said, "The people then must have been huge giants, so they made this tall tower easily. The giants would have carried the pillars and placed them one on the other. They must have built the Minar this way."

A third man laughed and joined in the fun, saying, "I think I know. They must have made the Qutab Minar flat on the ground and then straightened it."

But then Sheikh said very seriously, "I know how it was made. They must have dug a deep well and then turned it upside down" All the people burst out laughing at his stupidity.

The taj mahal

Sheikh went to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. he loved the white marble monument.

Some people told him that the Taj Mahal was ordered to be made by Emperor Shahjahan in memory of his beautiful wife MUMTAZ Mahal.

It had a dome in the middle and four towers on the corners. The River Yamuna flowed behind it.

Sheikh went inside the lovely monument and saw the wonderful hall, full of people who had come to see the Taj Majhal. He saw the two graves of the Emperor Shahjahan and the Emperess Mumtaz Mahal.

He walked around for some more time and then feeling tired he sat down to relax in the beautiful lawns in front of the Taj Majal

Nearby, two drunk men were talking and Sheikh Chilli overheard their conversation.

One drunk said, "I can give only twenty thousand rupees for the Taj Mahal. Not a rupee more because it is such an old building."

"But I am ready to pay even thirty thousand rupees. It is old but beautiful, replied the other.

Thinking that Taj Mahal was really up for sale and wanting to buy it for himself, Sheikh decided to trick the drunk men.

Sheikh walked up to them and pretending to know nothing about their quarrel, he asked them, "Why are you two fighting? Can I be of any help?"

The drunk men repeated their quarrel in front of Sheikh and told him to decide who should buy the Taj.

Sheikh said, "But none of you can actually buy the Taj Mahal because I am not ready to sell it. I own it."

Feeling pleased with his intelligence, Sheikh walked away. He heard the first drunk say, "So he is the owner of the Taj Mahal.

The other said, "You talked so loudly that is why the owner heard us."

"Yes, what a big loss we both have suffered by not being able to buy the Taj Majal," said the first man.

Sheikh laughed at their foolishness and began looking for the person who owned the Taj so that he could buy it from him!