Akbar’s Clever Plan to Find Birbal

Once, Emperor Akbar lost his temper with Birbal during a court discussion and ordered him to leave the royal court and never return. Deeply hurt, Birbal quietly left the city that very night without informing anyone.

The Search for Birbal

Days turned into weeks, and Akbar began missing Birbal. He realized he had been too harsh on him and regretted his actions. Akbar sent messengers to nearby villages and towns to search for Birbal, but despite their efforts, Birbal was nowhere to be found.

Akbar thought, “Birbal must have disguised himself. That’s why my men are unable to locate him. I need a more clever way to find him.”

A Strange Invitation

Akbar devised a unique plan. He ordered his ministers to send invitations to the rulers of all neighboring kingdoms. The invitation was peculiar:

“The Ocean in my kingdom wishes to marry. All the rivers in your kingdom are cordially invited to attend the wedding. The ceremony will take place next year, so please send your rivers at the earliest.”

When the rulers received this unusual invitation, they were utterly confused. They had no idea how to respond to such a bizarre request. Most decided to ignore it, pretending they had never received the invitation. However, a few days later, Akbar received a reply from one king. It read:

“Thank you for your kind invitation. We are delighted to send our rivers for the wedding, but our rivers have requested that your ocean come halfway to escort them.”

Birbal’s Return

Akbar laughed heartily upon reading the reply. He immediately realized that only Birbal could come up with such a witty response. Accompanied by his soldiers, Akbar traveled to the kingdom that had sent the reply. As he suspected, Birbal was staying with the king who had sent the letter.

When Akbar met Birbal, he was overjoyed. “I made a mistake in losing my temper,” Akbar said. “I deeply regret hurting you. Please return to the court.”

Birbal, equally pleased to see Akbar, said, “Your Majesty, I am glad to see you here yourself to take me back. I will return to the court with you.”

Birbal bid farewell to the king who had provided him shelter and left with Akbar to return to the royal court.

Moral of the Story:

True talent and wit are irreplaceable, and even the greatest leaders must acknowledge their mistakes to cherish the bonds they hold dear.