One evening, Emperor Akbar went for a stroll in his royal garden with his beloved Birbal. The garden was magnificent, adorned with lush greenery, and the fragrance of flowers added to its beauty.
During their walk, the emperor expressed a desire to ride a green horse in the verdant garden. He commanded Birbal to arrange for a green horse within seven days. However, there was a catch; if Birbal failed to fulfill the emperor’s request, he should never show his face again.
Both the emperor and Birbal were well aware that, until that day, a truly green horse had not been seen in the world. Yet, the emperor wanted to test Birbal’s response to failure, and Birbal, being clever, understood the emperor’s intentions. Instead of searching for an actual green horse, he spent the seven days wandering here and there.
On the eighth day, Birbal presented himself in the royal court. He informed the emperor, “Your Majesty, as per your command, I have arranged for a green horse for you. However, the owner of the horse has two conditions.”
Curious, the emperor inquired about the conditions. Birbal explained, “The first condition is that you must go to the horse yourself to bring it here.” The emperor agreed to this condition.
Birbal then revealed the second condition, “The owner insists that, besides the seven days of the week, you must choose another day for going to fetch the horse.”
The emperor, puzzled, asked for an explanation. Birbal calmly replied, “The owner claims that a special green horse, as desired by you, can only be brought on the conditions he has set.”
Emperor Akbar, realizing the cleverness in Birbal’s response, was pleased. He acknowledged that making Birbal accept defeat was indeed a difficult task.
The moral of the story is that with intelligence and wisdom, even seemingly impossible tasks can be accomplished easily.
