Once upon a time, Emperor Akbar was contemplating some matters in his court when he suddenly realized that his beard and hair had grown quite long. As this thought occurred to him, he immediately sent a message to his barber through one of his attendants to be present without delay. Upon receiving the message, the barber quickly arrived at the palace.
As the barber was about to start grooming the Emperor, a crow flew in from somewhere and perched nearby, cawing incessantly. Intrigued, Emperor Akbar asked the barber, “Why is this crow making such a noise?” To this, the barber replied, “It has come to inform about the well-being of your ancestors.”
Curious, the Emperor inquired, “What is the crow saying about the well-being of my ancestors?” The barber responded, “The crow is conveying that your ancestors are facing difficulties in heaven and are quite distressed. To inquire about their condition, you should send someone close to you to heaven.”
Upon hearing this, Emperor Akbar was astonished and asked, “How can a living person be sent to heaven?” The barber explained, “Your Majesty, there is a priest nearby who can perform the necessary rituals for sending someone to heaven. You just need to agree to send a close associate to inquire about your ancestors’ well-being.”
Accepting the advice, Emperor Akbar prepared to send someone to heaven. Acting on this decision, the Emperor called all his close associates to the court. Wondering why they were summoned, the associates inquired about the reason. Emperor Akbar explained the crow’s message and the barber’s suggestion.
In unanimous agreement, the associates declared that there was no one more suitable than Birbal to undertake this task. They praised Birbal as the most intelligent and clever person among them and believed that he could easily alleviate the distress of Akbar’s ancestors in heaven.
With the approval of his associates, Emperor Akbar arranged for Birbal to go to heaven. Before the journey, Birbal asked for a delay of approximately 11 days, stating that he wanted to spend some time with his family before departing. The Emperor granted him the requested time.
During these 11 days, Birbal meticulously planned the journey. On the 12th day, he returned to the court, ready for his expedition to heaven. The priest, as directed by the barber, arranged a pile of grass nearby. Following the priest’s instructions, Birbal was placed inside the heap of grass, and a fire was set to it.
As the flames engulfed the pile, Birbal emerged unharmed. Astonished, Emperor Akbar questioned him about the miraculous survival. Birbal explained, “Upon hearing about the fire, I suspected a plot. That’s why I requested 11 days. During that time, I had a tunnel dug from beneath the grass pile to my home. Using this tunnel, I safely escaped from the fire.”
Impressed by Birbal’s intelligence and resourcefulness, Emperor Akbar appreciated his cleverness. The associates, who had conspired against Birbal, were punished as their deceit was revealed.
In the end, Emperor Akbar asked Birbal, “How did you learn about the truth, and how did you survive the fire?” Birbal replied, “I suspected foul play upon hearing about the fire, so I took precautions. The key to solving any problem, no matter how significant, lies in careful thinking and clever strategies.”
The story imparts the lesson that with clever thinking, even the most challenging problems can be resolved.
