The Stingy Merchant: Birbal’s Witty Justice

In Emperor Akbar’s vast kingdom lived a talented portrait artist named Harinath. Renowned for his lifelike paintings, Harinath was highly sought after by the wealthy elite. His dedication to perfection often left him with little profit, as most of his earnings went into procuring high-quality materials.

One day, a wealthy merchant invited Harinath to paint his portrait. Hoping for fair payment, Harinath agreed and worked tirelessly for days to create a masterpiece that captured the merchant’s likeness perfectly.

The Merchant’s Trickery

When Harinath presented the portrait, the merchant, known for his stinginess, thought, If I praise this painting, I’ll have to pay him a hefty sum. Better to find faults in it.

Feigning dissatisfaction, the merchant said, “This doesn’t look right! You’ve painted me with gray hair, making me look older. I won’t pay for this.”

Harinath, taken aback, offered to repaint the portrait. He carefully fixed the hair and brought the painting back. But the merchant complained again, “Now one eye looks smaller than the other. This is unacceptable!”

This cycle continued, with the merchant finding new faults every time. Exhausted and realizing the merchant had no intention of paying, Harinath sought Birbal’s help.

Birbal’s Plan

Harinath explained his ordeal to Birbal, who devised a clever plan. He instructed Harinath to invite the merchant to Birbal’s house the next day.

When the merchant arrived, Birbal greeted him warmly and said, “Harinath claims to have painted a lifelike portrait of you, but you’re not satisfied. I have asked him to make another one just as you desire. It will be ready tomorrow, but you must pay him 1,000 gold coins upfront because his work is unparalleled.”

The merchant, eager to avoid future complaints, agreed, thinking he could find faults again and refuse payment later.

The Big Reveal

The next day, the merchant returned to see his portrait. Birbal led him to a room where a covered frame awaited. “Behold your perfect portrait!” Birbal declared.

When the merchant removed the cover, he was stunned—it wasn’t a painting but a mirror. Birbal smirked and said, “This is a flawless reflection of you. Surely, you can find no faults in it.”

Realizing he had been outwitted, the merchant admitted defeat. He not only paid Harinath 100 gold coins for his painting but also 1,000 gold coins for the “portrait” Birbal presented.

Moral of the Story:

Greed and dishonesty lead to humiliation, while fairness and talent always earn their due respect.

This tale of Birbal’s clever justice teaches us that deceitful intentions are no match for wisdom and wit. Harinath’s talent was rightfully rewarded, and the merchant learned a valuable lesson in humility.