151 Akbar Birbal Stories

One day, some villagers entered Akbar’s court. They bowed before Akbar and said, “Your Majesty, we will die of thirst. There are no wells in our village. Every day, we travel to the neighbouring village to bring water. Please help us!” Akbar thought, ‘I had ordered a courtier to get wells dug all over my […]

One day, the royal guards brought a bird catcher into Akbar’s court. The man said, “Your Majesty, I have a beautiful gift for you. I hope you will accept it.” Akbar said, “Certainly. What is it?” The man brought in a cage, with a golden peacock in it. All the courtiers gasped in wonder. None

It is a well-known fact that Akbar was a generous king. On the eve of Eid, he announced, “Eid is a time to enjoy with friends and family. Hence, tomorrow is a holiday. Enjoy the festival with your loved ones. But, before you leave, pick a gift.” He pointed to a table, which was heaped

One day, Hussain, one of Akbar’s courtiers, told him, “Birbal has been your trusted courtier for long. Please give me a chance.” Akbar replied, “You must prove yourself. Accompany Birbal to Burma and give my letter to the king.” Birbal and Hussain left for Burma. Birbal gave the letter to the king, who read it

Birbal was a clever man. Not only did he save innocent lives, but he also solved many problems and caught dishonest people. One day, two ghee merchants came to Akbar’s court. The first merchant said, “Your Majesty, this man had borrowed money from me. After a few months, I asked him to return the money.

Akbar enjoyed asking his courtiers strange questions to test their intelligence. One day, he asked, “How should I treat a person who pulls my moustache?” All the courtiers were taken aback. After a while, one of them said, “Your Majesty, such a person should be in jail.” Another courtier said, “No, Your Majesty, such a

One day, Akbar caught a dishonest officer cheating his subjects. He was angry and upset. Just then, his servant told him, “Your Majesty’s horse has run away from its stable and I cannot find it anywhere.” Akbar said, “You deserve to die!” The servant trembled from head to toe. Birbal saw this and he knew

One day, Akbar’s guards brought a man to the court and said, “Your Majesty, this granary officer was caught taking bribes.” Akbar said, “Put him in prison.” Another courtier said, “Your Majesty, let him count the waves of the Yamuna.” Akbar agreed. After a few days, Akbar asked Birbal, “What about that corrupt granary officer?

Akbar had a courtier named Sultan. He wanted his son to become the royal treasurer. But Akbar and Birbal did not want this, as Sultan’s son was a rogue. Sultan thought, ‘If I turn the emperor against Birbal, my son can become the royal treasurer.’ One day, Birbal was late for the court. Sultan whispered

One day, Birbal saw his neighbour, Raghuram, yelling at a fortune-teller, asking him to go away. Birbal asked the fortune-teller, “Why did he drive you out?” The fortune-teller said, “I asked him to stop being greedy as that would lead to his downfall. I advised him to donate alms to the poor. How could I

Akbar had a habit of collecting beautiful candlesticks. He had a special chamber where his collection was displayed. The servants were given strict instructions to be careful while cleaning the room. One day, while a servant was dusting the mantelpiece, one of the candlesticks fell and broke. Akbar was beside himself with rage. He ordered

One day, Birbal decided to visit his relatives in another city. He set off on his carriage. Birbal’s relatives were not hospitable people. They did not like to entertain guests. When they saw Birbal’s carriage approaching, they quickly thought of a plan to send him away. They went to the balcony and pretended to have

Akbar had a special cupboard. Whoever touched the cupboard would get stuck to it. One day, Akbar called Birbal and said, “Please get me an apple from that cupboard.” When Birbal touched the cupboard, he got stuck. Try as he might, he couldn’t free himself. Then onwards, Akbar often teased Birbal. He would ask, “How

One evening, Akbar and Birbal were walking along the banks of the Yamuna. Akbar loved the sound of the flowing river. He told Birbal, “Listen to the river, Birbal. I feel it is crying. Can you tell me why it is crying?” Birbal stared at the river for a while. He thought, ‘This is a