Birbal Denies Rumor One day a man stopped Birbal in the street and began narrating his woes to him. "I've walked twenty miles to see you," he told Birbal finally, "and all along the way people kept saying you were the most generous man in the country." Birbal knew the man was going to ask him for money. "Are you going back the same way?" he asked. "Yes," said the man. "Will you do me a favor?" "Certainly," said the man. "What do you want me to do?" "Please deny the rumor of my generosity," said Birbal, walking away.

Hunting & Dowry Akbar had a passion for hunting. One day Akbar was on his hunting trip, that he heard two owls quarreling very fiercely. Akbar asked Birbal, "Birbal, what are these owls saying? Why are they quarreling so loudly?" Birbal said, "Both of them are settling the dowry amount, Huzoor. The first one who is groom's father, is saying that he wants to take 40 jungles in the dowry, with no animals at all. The other owl, who is bride's father is saying that he can arrange only 20 jungles at the moment." In the mean time one owl hooted once more very loudly. Akbar asked Birbal, "No ... read more

Why Hair Does Not Grow on Palms Birbal had unparallel sense of wit. It was his sense of intelligence and wit that brought Birbal so close to the Emperor. One day Akbar was in quite a relaxed mood and was enjoying the company of Birbal. Suddenly the Emperor spread his both palm and noticed that there was no hair on his palms. He asked, “Birbal, Can you tell me why there is no hair on my palms?” Birbal gave a pleasing answer, “Jahaanpanaah, the reason is very simple. Everyday you donate generously to the poor and needy people with both of your hands. How can hair grow on such giving pal ... read more

The Choice of Birbal One day Emperor Akbar asked Birbal what he would choose if he were given a choice between justice and a gold coin. “The gold coin,” said Birbal. Akbar was taken aback. “You would prefer a gold coin to justice?” he asked, incredulously. “Yes Jahaanpanaah,” said Birbal. The other courtiers were also amazed by Birbal’s display of idiocy. For years they had been trying to discredit Birbal in the emperor’s eyes but without success and now the man had gone and done it himself. They could not believe their good fortune. “I would have been dismayed if even the lowli ... read more

Truth Always Finds Its Way Once there was a religious man who wanted to go on a pilgrimage. He did not want to take his life savings with him on his journey, so he went to one of his good friends and took him to a forest so that he could talk to him in private. So both of them went to the forest. There he told him that he was going on a pilgrimage and asked him to hold his savings for him till he comes back. He would collect it when he comes back. His friend agreed to keep his money for him, took the bag and the next day that man left for his pilgrimage. Many years passed but the religio ... read more