Once an unknown fakir (saint) came wandering to the Emperor’s palace and sat on the parapet. He got deeply involved in singing. Hours passed, but he showed no signs of leaving the place. The guards asked him to leave but he did not listen to them. Since he was a fakir, it was not possible to use force to drive him out. The guards were puzzled at how to get rid of him. In the meantime, the Emperor arrived there and politely requested the fakir, “O holy sir! This is a palace, not a traveller’s inn. You are mistaken if you think that you can sit anywhere and go on singing.”
The fakir looked at the Emperor and asked calmly, “Your Majesty, who occupied this palace before you?”
“First it was my grand father,” Akbar replied. “Afterwards my father occupied this palace and now I live here. And after me, by God’s grace, my sons, and my grand sons too will stay here.”
“Hmm…!” the fakir exclaimed. “It means one person comes and the other goes. All travellers ! Then isn’t it a traveller’s inn? This world too is like a traveller’s inn. We all are like visitors. We stay here for a while and then move on. After that other people arrive in this world for a brief stay. So, it is foolish to say that this is my house and that is yours! You are foolish indeed to think that this is your palace!”
The Emperor was speechless to hear the fakir’s explanation. The fakir was really very knowledgeable one. Just then the fakir removed his false beard and disguise. In fact, it was Birbal in the guise of a fakir.
The Emperor was very pleased with Birbal and praised him open heartedly.
