One day, Emperor Akbar and Birbal went together for a walk. At sunset Birbal sat down on the river-bank and performed ‘sandhya’—the Hindu ritual. The Emperor was very much impressed. He said to Birbal, “Birbal, tell me how to perform ‘sandhya’. I like it very much and I too like to do it.”
Birbal replied, “Your Majesty, only the Brahmins are supposed to perform ‘sandhya’, not others.”
“Then, make me a Brahmin,” Akbar said.
Birbal replied, “No Huzoor, it is not possible!” But the Emperor insisted, “Why not? For me, everything is possible.”
Birbal was in a fix. He said, “Please give me some time to think over it.”
The Emperor agreed. But after a few days, he again reminded Birbal of his promise. Then, Birbal called a potter and said, “Tomorrow evening, you come to the riverside with your donkey and bathe it by scrubbing it vigorously. The Emperor and I will come there at that time. When we ask, ‘What are you doing?’ you would say, ‘I am trying to make my donkey a horse!’ ’’
Accordingly, the next day, the potter came to the river-bank with his donkey. He started doing what he was instructed. The Emperor noticed this strange act and asked the potter, “What are you doing?”
“Huzoor, I am turning my donkey into a horse,” said the potter politely. The Emperor burst into laughter and said to Birbal, “This man seems to be crazy. Can anyone turn a donkey into a horse?”
Birbal said, “Your Majesty, if one cannot turn a donkey into a horse, how can anyone convert a Muslim into a Brahmin?”
The Emperor got the hint and said, “Birbal, you are tricky.”
