Once upon a time, there was a farmer who was very distressed. He needed water to irrigate his fields, so he had been searching for a well around his land for several days. In his quest, he suddenly saw a well. This well was quite close to his fields, and the farmer was overjoyed. He thought that his troubles were finally over and happily went home.
The next day, he went to fetch water from the well. As soon as he lowered the bucket into the well, a man appeared and threatened him. The man said, “This well belongs to me. You cannot take water from it. If you want water from this well, you will have to buy it.”
Upon hearing this, the farmer paused for a moment and then started thinking. He realized that if he bought the well, he would never face a water shortage, and he wouldn’t have to wander around searching for water.
So, even though the farmer didn’t have much money, he didn’t want to miss this opportunity. He promised the man to pay the agreed-upon amount the next day and went home.
Buying the well was a golden opportunity for the farmer. Therefore, he wanted to arrange the agreed-upon amount as quickly as possible. After some hustle and effort, he managed to collect the required money. Now, he was completely relieved, knowing that he wouldn’t be stopped from buying the well.
With the deposited money, the farmer went to the man’s house. Placing the money in his hands, the farmer acquired ownership of the well. Now that the well belonged to the farmer, he didn’t waste any time drawing water from it. However, as soon as the farmer lifted the bucket from the well, the man said once again, “Wait! You cannot draw water from this well. I sold you the well, not the water. The water in this well still belongs to me.”
Dejected, the farmer, seeking justice, went to the king’s court to file a complaint.
Do you know the name of that king? It was Emperor Akbar. After listening to the farmer’s entire story, Emperor Akbar summoned the man who sold the well. The king asked him, “When you sold the well to this farmer, why are you now denying him access to the water? I heard that you sold only the well, not the water. So, let the farmer take water from the well immediately.”
The man replied, “Your Majesty, I sold only the well, not the water. The water in the well still belongs to me.” Hearing this, the king was puzzled. He thought for a long time and, unable to find a solution, decided to consult his wise minister, Birbal.
Birbal, known for his intelligence, was often consulted by Emperor Akbar before making decisions. After hearing the issue, Birbal called both the farmer and the man to seek more information. Once he understood the whole situation, Birbal said, “Alright, you sold the well, not the water. Now, you immediately remove your water from the well. The farmer has the complete right to draw water from his own well.”
Upon hearing Birbal’s wise words, the man understood that his cunning plan had failed. He apologized to the king and the farmer, realizing that he couldn’t outsmart them. Emperor Akbar praised Birbal’s wisdom, and the man was fined for his deceitful actions.
Moral of the Story:
The story teaches us not to consider ourselves smarter than others. It also warns against deceitful practices because, in the end, someone might be more intelligent and find a way to expose the deception.
