Recreated Akbar and Birbal story : Akbar's formula of cooking rice

 

 As usual Akbar and Birbal were going for a walk by the lake. It was a cold weather and the environment was very chill. Birbal put his finger into the freezing water and immediately withdrew. Akbar was astonished at it and gave a query look at Birbal. To which Birbal said “ I don’t think so any one can sustain a night in this cold water “. Akbar took it as a challenge and said that he will make one of the kings men to do so. Birbal “ if that is the case I will reward them with a honorable title”. So the king selected one of his old kings men, and told him about Birbal’s challenge that , he has to stand in the cold water of the lake for the night and he will be honored with a title. The old kings man agreed as he was about to retire from the service. Retirement with a title is worth having. He went to spent the night in the lake . Next day he went to the king , the king took him to Birbal and asked for the reward. Birbal asked the kings man how did stand in the cold water of the lake and spent the night ? . To which the kings man

replied“ Sir ! I stood in the cold water and spent the entire night ,by watching the lamp that was burning at a distance. “

Birbal decline the reward by saying “ This kings man is not worthy of the reward, he was able to stand in cold water because the heat of the burning lamp would have made him warmer , that is why he was able to stand in the cold water”

The kings man looked towards the king. The king was speechless. So, he was doomed and heart broken and left the place. The next day the kings man was attending the duty with a grief stricken face , the king was disturbed at this.

Later in the afternoon Birbal did not find the king in the court. He enquired everyone in the court nobody knew where the king had gone. Birbal searched for the king everyone he did not find him, at the backyard of the palace there were puffs of smoke appearing. Birbal went to see what it was. When he went there he saw the king sitting besides the fire with a pot hanging almost 6 feet above it.

Birbal was astonished at that sight and said “ My Lord ! what is that your doing here , are you doing some experiment ? “

“ Yes ! Yes “ said Akbar

“ what is it my lord ? “ Birbal

“ I am cooking rice “ Akbar

Birbal started laughing and said “ how can you cook rice, when rice pot is hanged so high from fire ? “

The king said calmly “when a kings man can get warmer just by watching the burning lamp . In the same way I am trying to cook. “

Birbal understood kings justice for his kings man and agreed to honour the kings man with a title by arranging a function at his own cost.

Moral of the story is : Justice protected and there is always a solution to some problem if one decides.