A SEARCH FOR BIRBAL

One day, Emperor Akbar got angry with Birbal over something, and told him to leave his court and never come back.

Birbal went home thinking, "The Emperor is angry with me. If I stay here or in my country house, he might give me a heavier punishment."

Birbal decided to hide in an unknown place for sometime, so that the Emperor would start missing him.

Soon after, Akbar began to miss Birbal because with the clever Birbal around, he could talk about interesting things.

So he ordered that Birbal should be called back to the court. But Birbal was not to be found anywhere.

Akbar became very worried. He also got quite bored and wanted Birbal to come back to make his life more interesting and lively.

Akbar thought, "Where can Birbal go? He must be hiding in some far off village."

So one day, he thought of a plan to get Birbal back. He called all his messengers and told them to all the village chiefs around Agra and tells them to reach Agra within fifteen days.

Akbar said, "But tells all the chiefs that on the way to Agra, they have to walk partly in the sun and partly in the shade."

The chiefs found th order strange but none could defy the king's orders.

After a few days, Akbar saw the chiefs walking into th courtyard towards the court. Some of the chiefs has a piece of cloth on their heads. Some were actually trying to walk half in the sun and half in the shade formed by pillars.

But one man was carrying a cot, with his hands holding it over his head. It was a cot woven with jute ropes.

So wherever there were ropes, there was shade and through the gaps, the sun was shining on the man. It was half shade and half sunny under the cot.

Akbar asked his courtiers to bring that man to him.

Akbar said, "Very good, my man, you win. But tell me, who gave you this idea or you will be punished?"

The man daid, "My lord! The man is a friend's friend and has recently come to stay with him."

Akbar knew that Birbal was the only one who could have thought of this.

Akbar said, "Tell that stranger to come and see me at once. By the way, what is the stranger's name?"

The village chief said, "His name is Birbal but he won't come. He was saying that you are angry with him."

"I have pardoned Birbal and I am no longer angry with him. Tell him that he must come back at once to Agra. I am waiting for him to come back to the court as soon as possible," said Akbar.

When the village chief reached his village, he told Birbal what the Emperor had said. Birbal was happy to know that Akbar was no longer angry with him.

When Birbal came back to Agra, Akbar welcomed Birbal and said, "Birbal see I have got you out of your hiding. This time I was cleverer than you."