Chanakya (c.350 - c.275 BC) also known as Kautilya is one of the earliest known political thinkers and king makers in the literal sense of the word.

The commonly told tale is that after Chanakya was humilated by the Nandas, and chandragupta being thrown out of the nanda army, chanakya was walking in a forest when the kusa grass hurt him by tripping him over. Since the grass is extremely difficult to uproot, people let it grow without destroying it but chanakya poured sugar syrup on the grass. When Chandragupta asked him why, Chanakya replied that he was making the root of the grass sweet which will attract ants and the ants will destroy the grass. And that did happen. When asked why a simple grass was being destroyed for vegenance, Chanakya replied that everyone owes a duty to the society by removing noxious things, and he would remove even a king if the king adopted adharma. Seeing Chanakya's intelligence and foresight, Chandragupta asked to be accepted as a disciple.

Chanakya entered the palace of the Nandas. He saw ten gold plates and thrones. He was told that nine were for the eight Nanda princes (who were brothers) and their father Sarvarthasiddhi. The tenth was for the most learned person in Vedas. It was occupied by Subandhu, whose incompetence was widely known. Chanakya sat down in the tenth throne. The nine princes and Subandhu entered the place and noticed Chanakya sitting on the throne. The youngest two brothers, Sukalpa and Dhanananda, asked him to get up and leave. Chanakya replies, 'I am the most qualified for the tenth throne. It is my right to sit on it. If subandhu defeats me in a literary debate, I will readily step down.'

The princes become angry but Chanakya remains calm and continues his request for a debate. Sukalpa insults him by calling him a monkey but Chanakya continues to be calm and says that the duty of the king is obey the dharma. Since the tenth throne is to be given to the most learned man, it is dharmic that a contest be held. Further, Chanakya notes that he may be black like a monkey but scholars are noted for what is in them.

The princes get angry and ask the guards to throw him out by pulling him by the tuft of the hair. At this instance, Chanakya takes the famous oath, 'I will not tie my tuft of hair until I uproot the whole Nanda dynasty and establish dharma in magadha. Rulers like you have spoiled Bharat. The tuft of hair which you arrogantly pull now will be like a serpent which comes back to bite you.'

 Alexander, the GREAT

One of the most successful (and some would say the most successful) military commanders of all time, Alexander has been inspiring would-be conquerors for centuries. He's been immortalized in story and song.

The accomplishments of Alexander still sound pretty impressive today: Born in 356 B.C., he became king of Macedonia when he was 20 years old, on the assassination of his father, Philip II. Not long after, he set out in search of glory and had conquered most of the known world by the time of his death in 323 B.C., just before his 33rd birthday.

The greatest battle of Alexander the Great was fought in India at Jhelum. The Indian infantry attacked with 20,000 men and 130 elephants. The trumpeting, ferocious elephants were defeated at great cost to Alexander.Porus, the Indian rajah, led the final elephant charge in person. He lost more than 12,000 troops while trying to stop the Macedonian phalanx; both of his sons were also killed in battle. Porus was finally captured and brought to meet Alexander. Arrian, the Roman historian, described the meeting: "Alexander, informed of his approach, rode out to meet him, accompanied by a small party of his Companions. When they met, he reined in his horse, and looked at his adversary with admiration: he was a magnificent figure of a man, over seven feet high and of great personal beauty; his bearing had lost none of its pride; his air was of one brave man meeting another, of a king in the presence of a king, with whom he had fought honourably for his kingdom.

"Alexander was the first to speak. 'What,' he said, 'do you wish that I should do with you?'

"'Treat me as a king ought,' Porus is said to have replied.

"'For my part,' said Alexander, pleased by his answer, 'your request shall be granted. But is there not something you would wish for yourself? Ask it.'

"'Everything,' said Porus, 'is contained in this one request.' The dignity of these words gave Alexander even more pleasure, and he restored to Porus his sovereignty over his subjects, adding to his realm other territory of even greater extent."

Eklavya, Mahabharta

Near the ashrama of Drona, where Arjuna and his brothers used to take lessons in various arts, there lived a small bright boy, shudra by caste (lower caste). His name was Eklavya. He had great desire to learn the art of archery from Dronacharya. But his mother had told him that as a shudra, Acharya Drona would not accept Eklavya as his disciple. It was futile to dream of such a privilege.

But the boy was not be put off, his determination knew no bounds. Near his house, under a tree Eklavya installed a clay idol of Dronacharya that he worshiped as his Guru! Daily, morning and evening, this devotee put flower and natural perfumes in front of this image and took Self-Lessons in the art of bow and arrow. The talented young Eklavya soon acquired high knowledge in archery. He attributed his success to his Guru Dronacharya.

One day, as it happened, Acharya Drona and Arjuna were passing near the hut of Eklavya. It was pleasant and peaceful afternoon and people were taking rest. But the tranquility and silence was broken by constant barking of a dog. Eklavya did not like this, and therefore, he shut the mouth of the dog with an arrow! Dronacharya and Arjuna were surprised to see the dog with his mouth sealed with an arrow!

Naturally the curious Arjuna asked his Gurudev as to who could have done this delicate job. Even Dronacharya was amazed and knew the archer must be exceptionally skilled artist. They decided to trace this skillful fellow and reached the spot where Eklavya was practicing wonders with his bow and arrow in front of the clay image of Drona. It took no time for Dronacharya to understand the situation. He realized that Eklavya was superior to Arjuna in some respects. Dronacharya loved Arjuna very much and had declared him to be the best archer on the earth. Hence the Guru thought for awhile and came to a decision to remove Eklavya as a competitor to Arjuna.

Dronacharya went to Eklavya and said, "O young man, who has taught you such wonderful skills in archery! Who is your Guru?"

Seeing the Guru in front of him, the boy Eklavya was more that overjoyed and said, "Why, O Gurudev, this all is your grace! I worship you as my Guru. Look you are there in that image!"

Dronacharya was pleased with the dedication of Eklavya, and said, "I bless you my son. But as is customary, won't you give me my fees - Guru-Dakshina!"

[It is customary in India to give to the Guru whatever he demands as his fees - Guru-Dakshina for the knowledge the Guru has given to the disciple.]

Eklavya was overwhelmed to see Dronacharya had accepted him as his disciple! Out he said, "O Honourable Teacher, whatever you ask, this humble disciple of yours will try his utmost to offer you as Guru-Dakshina! I am blessed."

And now comes a very touching and pathetic incidence in Mahabharata.

Guru Drona said, "O Eklavya, I am pleased with your respect for Guru. I want the thumb of your right hand as my fees- Guru-Dakshina."

The trees and atmosphere around stood still for a minute! Even Arjuna was stunned on listening to the unusual and almost cruel demand of his Guru. To ask for the thumb of an archer was equivalent to almost kill him! How could Dronacharya demand such a heavy prize from one disciple to protect the honour of the other!

But Eklavya had no such remorse. Unruffled and with due humility, cheerfully and without protest, he cut his right thumb and placed at the feet of Dronacharya. Gods in the heaven silently praised the greatness of Eklavya's sacrifice.

Abraham Lincoln

There was a man who failed in business at the age of 31. He was defeated for the legislature at 32. Failed in business again at 34. Lost his beloved at 35. He had a nervous break down at 36. Lost the elections yet again at 38. He lost the elections for congress at 46. Lost again in another congress at 49. Accepted defeat for the Senate at 55. Was beaten in the race for vice-president at 56. Was again defeated for Senate at 58. But was elected the president of the US at the age of 60. That man was Abraham Lincoln. Possess firm determination and this determination will surely lead you to success one day. Forward this to every of your friend to raise their enthusiasm and determination.

Dr. Howard Kelly

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left,  and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"  "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." 

He said..... "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year's later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill.

She read these words.....

"Paid in full with one glass of milk"

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that Your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands."

Thomas Alva Edison (The man, who invented electric bulbs)

Edison was a poor student. When a schoolmaster called Edison "addled," his furious mother took him out of the school and proceeded to teach him at home. Edison said many years later, "My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me, and I felt I had some one to live for, some one I must not disappoint." At an early age, he showed a fascination for mechanical things and for chemical experiments.

Swami Vivekanada

He came to be known as Swami Vivekananda only when he became a sannyasi or monk. His parents called him Narendra. His father was Vishwanatha Datta and his mother Bhuvaneshwari Devi. Narendra was born on 12th January 1863 in Calcutta. As a child he was very lively and naughty. When Narendra stepped into boyhood, his naughtiness grew. He was a natural leader of the children in the neighbourhood. His companions bowed to his decision always. Once a landlord threatened the children saying, "There is a demon in the tree and he swallows children." Narendra was not impressed by this threat. He settled down on a branch. The other boys took to their heels. Narendra waited for several hours, but the demon did not appear. So, he declared that the landlord's story was a spoof. Narendra loved to tease his sisters. Meditation, too, was a sport to him. But as he meditated he became oblivious of the whole world. Not even a lizard or a snake moving near him could disturb his concentration.

Even as a child Narendra had great respect for sannyasis or ascetics. He would give away anything to anybody if asked for. On his birthday, he would wear new clothes, wouldn't he? If a beggar asked for aims he would give away the new clothes. From that day, his mother would lock him up in a room whenever a beggar passed by the house. But every beggar knew Narendra's nature very well. So beggars would stand near the window of Narendra's room. He would throw to them anything he had. The spirit of sacrifice and renunciation was already blossoming in him. In her leisure time his mother would tell him the story of the Ramayana. He could not sleep unless she told him a story. Then he would be all ears, forgetting his study and play. He had great reverence for Lord Hanuman. Once he sat before the idol of Lord Shiva, with his body all smeared with ash. His perplexed mother asked him, "Naren, what's all this?" He smiled and said, "Mother, I'm the Lord Shiva." The mother feared that her son would become a sannyasi, like his grandfather.

Narendra's father was a lawyer. So every day his house used to be crowded with his clients belonging to different castes. The house was like an inn; the clients had breakfast and lunch there. It was the custom to provide the guests with hukkas (long pipes) to smoke after food. There was a different pipe for clients of each caste. Narendra wondered what would happen if he smoked the pipe meant for people of a different caste. Finally he experimented. Nothing untoward happened. He concluded that caste had no meaning.

The maxim "The child is father of the man" was entirely true of the compassionate boy, Narendra. Once there was a display of physical exercises in a local gymnasium. Accidentally an iron bar fell on a sailor among the spectators. He fell down unconscious. The people who had gathered there ran away lest the police should question them. Narendra, with the help of two friends of his, gave the wounded sailor first aid. Then he took him to a doctor. He even raised some money for the wounded man. On another occasion Narendra pulled out one of his friends who had been caught .under the wheel of a coach drawn by horses. Likewise he helped a little boy who was a total stranger. The boy was lying on a road with high fever. He took him home. Narendra never knew what fear was.

It was not that Narendra excelled only in sports; he was quick and alert in his studies as well. After a single reading he could remember any lesson. His memory was amazing. Concentration was the key to his success in studies.

Tansen (One of the Akbar's Nine jewels)

Almost exactly in the centre of India is a town called Gwalior. In this town is the tomb of Tansen, one of the greatest musicians that ever lived.Next to his beautifully carved stone tomb stands a little tamarind tree. It is believed that by eating a leaf of this tree and touching the tomb, a singer can improve his voice.

If this sounds like magic, the story of Tansen is equally magical. Even today, many famous musicians follow the style of music created by Tansen known as the "Gwalior Gharana".

About four hundred years ago, in a village near Gwalior, lived a wealthy poet, Mukand Mishra, and his wife. Their only sorrow was that they had no children. On the suggestion of a friend, Mishra went to Gwalior to seek the blessings of the famous saint and musician, Mohammad Ghaus. He tied a holy thread on Mishra's arm, saying, "May God bless you with a son." And so it came to pass. A child was born and named Tansen. As Tansen grew up his father engaged teachers to teach him to read and write. Tansen, however, was more interested in going to the nearby forest with his friends, where he would imitate bird and animal sounds.

Once a group of singers were passing through the forest. Tansen hid himself in some bushes and roared like a tiger. So life-like was the sound that the singers became frightened. When the boy showed himself, the leader of the group praised his tiger-like roar. Encouraged, Tansen made more animal and bird sounds.

The leader was greatly impressed by Tansen's performance. He was none other than the famous music teacher, Haridas.

Haridas offered to take Tansen as his disciple. "He has great musical talent," said Haridas to Tansen's father. Most reluctantly, Tansen's mother agreed to let her only child go away to Brindaban to study under Haridas. For almost ten years Tansen studied music from Haridas. Starting with the basic musical notes SA RE GA MA PA DHA NI SA, he learnt the basics of singing and playing the tanpura. He learnt about the different ragas of Indian music and how each raga creates a different mood. A raga can make you so happy that you want to dance, or it can make you so sad that it brings tears to your eyes.

Then one day there was a message from home that his father was very ill. When Tansen arrived home he found his father on his death-bed."I am happy that you have become a musician. Go and see Mohammad Ghaus," were his father's last words to him.
Tansen remained at home to look after his mother, but within a year she, too, died. Now Tansen was free to keep his promise to his father to go to Mohammad Ghaus and be trained by him. But, in keeping with Indian tradition, he went to seek permission to learn under a new guru from his first guru, Haridas. "You must obey your father's wishes, but you will always be welcome here. You are like a son to me," said Haridas. And he gave him his blessings. Tansen studied under Mohammad Ghaus for three years, developing his musical talent. During that time Mohammad Ghaus introduced Tansen to the ruler of Gwalior. They became good friends and Tansen would often visit the ruler's palace, where he would listen to other musicians.

During his visits to the palace, Tansen met Husani, one of the women who attended on the ruler. Like her name "the beautiful one", Husani was truly beautiful. Tansen fell in love with her and married her.

A few years later Mohammad Ghaus died, leaving his property and money to Tansen. Tansen settled in Mohammad Ghaus's house and his family was raised there. One day a messenger arrived from the court of Rewa, near Gwalior. The messenger opened the scroll and read: "King Ramchandra of Rewa would like you to be a musician at his court."

This was a great honour and the first step in Tansen's rise to fame. King Ramchandra admired Tansen's singing and lavished many expensive gifts on him. Once he gave him a thousand gold coins. Then one day the Emperor, Akbar, went on a visit to Rewa. King Ramchandra arranged for Tansen to entertain his royal guest. The emperor was greatly impressed by Tansen's music and, soon after his return, sent a message to Ramchandra requesting him to send Tansen to his court. King Ramchandra did not want to part with Tansen, but he could not afford to displease the powerful Akbar. After all, Akbar was the Emperor of India, and Ramchandra was only the king of a small state in Akbar's empire.

So, reluctantly, King Ramchandra sent Tansen as a royal gift from one court to another escorted by his own men.

Tansen received a royal welcome in the capital city of Agra. Akbar was so impressed by Tansen's music that he bestowed on him the highest honour of the land. Tansen was included among his navratna, nine jewels . the nine most outstanding talents of the royal court.

Besides performing in the court, Tansen would often sing alone for the Emperor. At night he sang ragas that would soothe and help Akbar fall asleep, and in the morning Tansen sang special ragas that would gently awaken the Emperor.

There are many stories told about the power of Tansen's music. It is said that when Tansen sang, birds and animals would gather to hear him. Once, during a hunting expedition, Emperor Akbar spotted a white elephant which he wanted for himself. The elephant was captured and brought to the palace. The elephant, however, was fierce and wild and would not be tamed.

When Tansen heard of this, he went to the elephant, which was chained and struggling with the trainers.

He began to play the tanpura and sing. Gradually the elephant became calm, and soon the emperor was able to mount and ride it. Emperor Akbar bestowed honours and gifts on Tansen. Tansen was given a house very close to the royal palace.

One evening, Emperor Akbar decided to visit Tansen. When the Emperor arrived, Tansen was singing and playing the tanpura. The Emperor sat quietly in the verandah and listened to him. So pleased was the Emperor with Tansen's music that after the performance he took off his diamond necklace and presented it to Tansen. Some courtiers became very jealous of the Emperor's high regard for Tansen. They began plotting Tansen's downfall. They stole the diamond necklace given by the Emperor and told him that Tansen had sold it for a large sum of money. When summoned to the royal court and asked to produce the necklace, Tansen was unable to do so.

The Emperor flew into a rage. "You will be banished from the court till you can present yourself wearing the necklace," roared the Emperor. Tansen was in disgrace. He had no one to turn to. At last he thought of King Ramchandra and set off for Rewa.
Ramchandra welcomed his former court musician. After hearing the whole story, the king said, "Don't worry. Just sing for me."
Tansen sang two beautiful ragas for the king. "Your singing is now superb. You have brought me great joy," said Ramchandra. And as a token of appreciation, he presented his jewelled sandals to Tansen. Tansen rushed back to Agra and placed the jewelled sandals in front of the Emperor. "Sire, please take the diamonds from these and forgive me."

The jewelled sandals were worth much more than the necklace. The Emperor immediately realized that he had misjudged Tansen and said, "Your music is much more valuable than diamonds to me. I should never have doubted you. You may return to the court as my royal musician."

Tansen's fame spread far and wide. People said Tansen was the greatest singer to have been born in a thousand years. Tansen's enemies once more grew jealous and began to plot his downfall. They suggested to the Emperor that he command Tansen to sing Deepak Raga for him.

Deepak Raga was one of the most difficult ragas to sing. Besides, so much heat would be caused by a perfect rendering of this raga that not only would lamps alight, but the singer's body too would burn to ashes.

When Akbar asked Tansen to sing Deepak Raga Tansen pleaded, "Sire, Deepak Raga can set the singer himself on fire. But the Emperor would not listen. "If you are the greatest singer in the land, you must accept this challenge," insisted Emperor Akbar.

Tansen knew that singing Deepak Raga was dangerous, but he also knew that if Megh raga, which brings the rain, could be sung at the same time, he would be saved from the fury of fire.

"But how can I sing both ragas at the same time," Tansen thought worriedly to himself, as he roamed in the garden of his house. Suddenly he had an idea. Maybe Rupa, a devoted disciple of Haridas, could sing with him.

With the permission of Haridas, Rupa agreed to sing. Rupa was already a very good musician. Tansen used the fifteen days preparation time, granted by Akbar, to train her. At the end of the two weeks, Rupa had perfected the singing of Megh Raga.

On the day of the performance, the court was packed with courtiers and royal guests. People had come from far and near to hear Tansen sing the most difficult of all ragas, Deepak Raga.

Unlit lamps were placed on the walls. Tansen was waiting with his tanpura in hand and, as soon as the Emperor entered and sat on the throne, the great musician began the alap - the first portion of a raga.

As Tansen sang on, the surrounding air got warmer and warmer.

The audience started perspiring. Leaves and flowers in the garden dried and fell to the ground. Water in the fountains began to boil. Birds flew away to escape. The lamps lit up and flames appeared in the air. People fled from the court in terror. As the Emperor got up and stood, listening with awe, a rose that he often held in his hand drooped and died.

Now Tansen's body was hot and feverish, but absorbed in Deepak Raga he continued to sing vigorously.

Seeing Tansen in this state, Rupa became anxious and was unable to start singing. Then slowly, although waveringly at first, she began singing Megh Raga.

As her voice grew stronger and soared, the sky became dark with clouds. Soon rain came pouring down. Many among the audience rushed out to be cooled by the rain. Soon everything returned to normal. People showered praises on Tansen's genius. Though the Emperor was very pleased, he was shocked that he had almost lost his greatest musician to the fire of the singer's own music.

Tansen's fame now spread like the flames of Deepak Raga.

For the singer himself, however, the internal fire lit by Deepak Raga did not cool easily. Tansen fell ill and it was two months before he could return to the court.

Tansen sang and taught in Emperor Akbar's court for many years. He was not only a musician, but also a poet. He wrote the words for his music and composed many new ragas.When Tansen died Emperor Akbar was at his bedside. The Emperor was filled with great sorrow. He knew that India had lost her greatest musician and singer. But Tansen's music has lived on and been passed on from guru to disciple.And every year in Gwalior, near Tansen's tomb, a music festival is held. Musicians come here from all over India to perform and pay homage to Tansen.

Birbal (The most clever Akbar's Navratana)

Akbar loved hunting and used to escape  to go for hunting even from his studies. Well, later he became a better rider and hunter than any one of his courtiers. One day when Akbar went for hunting, he and his some of the courtiers went so fast that they left the others behind. As the evening fell, everybody got very hungry and thirsty, they found that they had lost their way and now did not know where to go.

At last they came to a junction of three roads. King was very happy to see the roads that now he could go reach his capital through one of these roads, but which road was to go to his capital - Agra. They were all thinking about it and could not decide it. In the mean time they saw a young boy coming along one road. The boy was summoned and Akbar asked him, "Hey young boy! Which road goes to Agra?" The boy smiled and spoke, "Huzoor! everybody knows that road cannot move so how these roads can go to Agra or anywhere else?" and laughed  at his own joke.

Everybody was silent, didn't say a word. The boy said again, "People travel, not the roads. Do they?"  Emperor laughed at this and said, "No, you are right."  The Emperor asked again, "What is your name, young boy?" "Mahesh Das" The boy replied and asked the Emperor, "And who are you Huzoor? What is your name?" The Emperor took out his Ring and gave it to the boy. "You are talking to Emperor Akbar - the King of Hindustan (India). We need feerless people like you. You come to the court, with this Ring I will recognize you immediately. Now tell me the way to get to Agra. We have to reach there soon?"

Mahesh Das bowing lowly pointed towards the road going to Agra, and the King headed on that road.

That is how the Emperor Akbar met the future Birbal.

There was a boy named Mahesh Das. When he grew up as a fine young man, he took all his savings, along with the Ring of Seal of the Emperor Akbar, which he received from the Emperor himself some time ago, bade his mother farewell, and set out to the new capital of India - Fatehpur Sikri.

He was very much enchanted with the pomp and show of the new capital. He escaped the crowd and headed towards the red walls of the palace. The palace gate was very richly ornamented - a very beautiful gate as he had never seen before. Mahesh wanted to enter the gate, but the guard slashed the air with his spear and stopped him from entering the gate.

"Where do you think, you are going?" asked the guard. Said Maesh politely, "Sir, I have come to see the King." "Oh! yeah, the King must be waiting for you, as when you would come?" the guard said circastically. Mahesh smiled at this comment and spoke "Yes, Sir, and  now I am here." Mahesh told further,"I am sure you nust have fought wonderfully well on the Emperor's frontiers, but do not risk your life by stopping me from entering the palace."

The guard kept quiet for a moment, then said courageously, "Why do you think so? I will chop off your head, if you do not stop talking nonsense." Mahesh was not going to accept his defeat. He showed Akbar's Ring of Seal to the guard.

Now who was the person who did not recognize Akbar's Ring of Seal. Having seen the seal, the guard couldn't say a word. He had to admit him, although he was not willing to do it. So the guard thought and thought, then he said to Mahesh, "You can go in on one condition." "What?", Mahesh asked. The guard said, "Whatever you will get from the Emperor, you will share with me half of that. "Agreed," Mahesh smiled and the guard let him go inside.

He went on and on, finally he could see the golden throne on which a man of simple elegance was sitting. He quickly recognized him as the Emperor Akbar. Pushing everyone aside, Mahesh went further and prostrated himself before the Emperor Akbar, and said, "May your shadow always grow, O Full Moon."

Akbar smiled and asked him, "What do you want. O young man?" Mahesh rose to his feet and spoke, "Sir, I have come here at your command." And he handed over the Ring of Seal, which was given to him by the King so many years before. 

"That's a good boy, now what do you want? What is your heart's desire? Tell me, I will try my best to fulfill it." Mahesh remebered his promise with the guard, so he asked the Emperor to punish him with one hundred slashes. The King was surprised to hear that, "But how can I do this to you, you have done nothing wrong." Mahesh said politely, "Sir, please do not go back from your promise of fufilling my heart's desire."

So with great reluctance and perplexed mind, Akbar ordered one hundred lashes on Mahesh's back. To the surprise of all, Mahesh endured every stroke without uttering a word.

After the fiftieth whip, he suddenly shouted, "Stop now." Akbar asked, "Why? What happened?" Mahesh said, "Sir when I was coming here, your guard did not allow me to come inside the palace, unless I promised him to give half of my share of whatever I will get from you. I have taken half of my share, now it is your guard's turn to take his share of half." Everybody bursted into the laughter.

The guard was hauled to receive his humiliating bribe. The King said, "You are as brave as you were when you were a child. You have grown into a cleverer young man. I was trying to weed out the corrupted people from my court, but your little trick has done what I wouldn't have done even after passing several laws. From now on, on the basis of of your wisdom, you shall be called "Birbal" and you will stay by my side as my advisor."

That is how Birbal was born.

One day Akbar asked Birbal, "Birbal, can you tell me how many bangles are on your wife's hand?"  Birbal said, "No, Huzoor, I cannot."  "You cannot. Although everyday you see her hand, still you cannot tell how many bangles are on her hand. How is that?" said Akbar.

Birbal said, "Let's go to the garden, Your Majesty. And I will tell you "How is that" and they both went to the garden. They both went down a small staircase which led to the garden. After reaching in the garden Birbal asked, "You daily climb up and down this small staircase, could you tell how many steps it has?"

Akbar smiled and then changed the subject.

Once Akbar went to the river with his two sons and wise Minister Birbal. On the bank of the river, Akbar and his two sons took off their clothes and asked Birbal to take care of them while they took bath in the river.

Birbal was waiting for them to come out of the river. All the clothes were on his shoulder. Looking at Birbal standing like this, Akbar felt like teasing him, so he said to him, "Birbal! you look like as if you are carrying a washerman's donkey load."

Birbal quickly retorted, "Sir, Washerman's donkey carries only one donkey's load, I am carrying three donkey's load." Akbar was speechless.

Akbar was very impressed with Birbal's wit and wisdom. So one day Akbar promised him for many gifts. But it so happened that several days passed, but there was no sign of gift. Birbal was very disappointed. He didn't know what to do? One day when Akbar was taking a stroll at the bank of Yamunaa with his dear minister Birbal, he happened to notice a camel. He asked Birbal, "Tell me Birbal, why the camel's neck is crooked."

Birbal thought this is good time, so he thought for a moment and spoke, "Your Majesty, it might be possible that  the camel has forgotten to honor his promise made to somebody that is why his neck is crooked. Scriptures mention that whoever will forget their promises will have crooked neck. So this might seem the reason of his crooked neck."

Akbar soon realized that he promised to give some gifts to Birbal, but has not yet done so. As soon as they arrived at the palace, the King gave him his reward.

So Birbal was so wise that he got what he wanted without asking for it.

Because Birbal was very wise and witty, the Emperor's courtiers and other people used to be jealous with him and used to find some way to degrade him.

One day the court barber, who was very jealous with Birbal, plotted a plan against him. So when the King called him again to trim his beard, he went and started trimming his beard. He said, "Sir, last night I dreamed about your father." The King got interested, so he asked, "What did he say to you?"

"Sir, he said to me, that everything is good in paradise, but he feels a great  absence of a good humorous man who can amuse him." The King thought and thought, but nobody else he could think of except Birbal who could perform this kind of duty very well. And, naturally, the only way to go to heaven was through death. For a moment, Akbar was very sad to lose such a good man, but thinking of his father, he made up his mind.

He summoned Birbal and said, "I think Birbal you love me very much and you can sacrifice anything for me." Birbal tried to understand his point but couldn't guess. He said, "You know Majesty, I do." "Then Birbal, please go to heaven to give company to my dear father." Birbal understood that this was a wicked plan of somebody to kill him. He said to Emperor politely, "I will do so, but I need a few days to prepare myself to go to heaven." The King said, "Certainly. You are giving me such a great favor, I allow you one week to prepare yourself."

Now Birbal was worried. He thought, somebody has planned very well and he could not escape from this plan. He thought and thought. And then he found a way. He dug a ditch near his house which would serve as his grave, and dug a tunnel too which would open in a room of his house. After doing this, he returned to the Imperial Court. He said, " I am ready, His Majesty, but there two conditions." Akbar was so happy to hear this that he forgot that Birbal could put some odd conditions to him. He asked, "What are those conditions? Tell me soon. I will try to fulfill them so that you can go to heaven to be with my dear father."

Birbal said, "His majesty, I wish to be buried near my house. And I want to be buried alive so that I can reach heaven alive to amuse your dear father." The King found this logical and agreed up on them immediately.

So Birbal was buried alive near his house. Of course he made his way to his house where he lived in confinement for six months. After six months, he came out of hiding with grown beard and shabby hair and asked the permission to appear in the Royal Court.

Looking at him Akbar cried, "Where have you been Birbal?" Birbal said, "Your Majesty, I was in Heaven with your dear father. I had a very good time there with your father. He was so happy with my services that he gave me special permission to return to Earth." Akbar was very anxious to know about his father, he asked, "Did he send any message for me?" Birbal said, "Yes Your Majesty, he said that very few barber can make it to go to Heaven, you can make out this from my grown beard and shabby hair, so he has asked to send your own barber to him immediately.

Akbar understood everything. He gave Birbal a big prize, and his barber the life sentence.

It so happened that once a rich merchant's house was robbed. The merchant suspected that the thief was one of his servants. So he went to Birbal and mentioned the incident. Birbal went to his house and assembled all of his servants and asked that who stole the merchant's things. Everybody denied.

Birbal thought for a moment, then gave a stick of equal length to all the servants of the merchant and said to them that the stick of the real thief will be longer by two inches tomorrow. All the servants should be present here again tomorrow with heir sticks.

All the servants went to their homes and gathered again at the same place the next day. Birbal asked them to show him their sticks. One of the servants had his stick shorter by two inches. Birbal said, "This is your thief, merchant."

Later the merchant asked Birbal, "How did you catch him?" Birbal said, "The thief had already cut his stick short by two inches in the night fearing that his stick will be longer by two inches by morning."

Once Akbar and Birbal passed through some farms while riding on their horses. They happened to pass through a cabbage patch. Looking at the patch, Akbar said to Birbal, "What a delightful vegetable the cabbage is. I like it very much." Birbal said, "Huzoor, cabbage is the king of the vegetables." Akbar did not reply to this, and they went on.

Another day, they were riding past the same cabbage patach again. This time Akbar made a face, and said, "This cabbage is such a tasteless vegetable. How people tolerate it." Birbal replied, " Yes Huzoor, really it is difficult to even look at such a tasteless vegetable." Akbar agin listened to this and they went on.

After a while the king remebered something. He said to Birbal, "Birbal, I don't understand you. Last time when we passed through this patch, you told that the cabbage was the king of vegetable, and today you said that "It is even difficult to look at such a tasteless vegetable. What do you mean by that?"

Birbal said bowing, "Huzoor, I am your servant, not of cabbage."

One day Akbar was strolling in his palace gardens with his dear minister Birbal. Many crows were flying around. The King enjoyed their flying. Just then he thought, that how many crows could be in his kingdom and immediately posed this question to Birbal.

Birbal thought a moment, then said, "They are ninety-five thousand, four hundred and sixty three (95, 463) crows in your kingdom, Huzoor." "How do you know that for sure?" the King asked. "You can get them counted, Huzoor." Birbal said.

The king again said, "If there will be less than that, then?" Birbal replied immediately, "That means that the rest of them have gone on vacation to some neighboring kingdoms." "Or if there were more than that, then?" "Then it means that other crows are visiting your kingdom, Huzoor."

Akbar was very pleased with this answer of his question.

Several courtiers were vying to be the Royal Advisor of Emperor Akbar. So one day, when they came to the court, they said to the Emperor, "We want to be your Royal Advisor." Akbar said, "No problem, but you will have to pass the test before you could be my Royal Advisor. And whoever would pass the test will be appointed my Advisor." They agreed.

The King unfastened his waist cloth and lay down on the floor, and asked the candidates to cover him with that cloth from head to toe. Now everybody tried to cover him, but in vain. If one wanted to cover the head, then feet remained uncovered, or if the feet were covered, then his head remained open.

Just then Birbal entered the court, the king asked Birbal also, if he could cover him with that cloth from head to toe. Birbal paused a moment, then asked the Emperor politely, "Huzoor, Could you pull up your knees a little bit?" The King did so, and Birbal could cover him from head to toe with that cloth.

Realizing that they failed the test, the courtiers left the court quietly and then they never thought about being the King's Advisor.

Akbar used to ask many odd questions from his courtiers and amused himself. One day he entered the Royal Court, settled in his Royal chair, and asked his courtiers: "What punishment should be given to a person who pulls my mustache?"

One said, "He should be beheaded."
Another said, "He should be flogged."
Yet another said, "He should be hanged."

"What do you think, Birbal?" the Emperor asked Birbal. Birbal kept quiet for a moment, then said, "Jahaanpanaah, he should be given sweets."  "What, Birbal? Have you gone crazy? Do you know what are you saying?"  Birbal replied politely, "I am not crazy, Jahaanpanaah. And I know what I am saying."  "Then how can you talk like this?" the King asked in anger.  Birbal again replied politely, "Because, Jahaanpanaah, the only person can dare to do this is your grandson."

So pleased was the King with this answer, that he gave his ring to Birbal as a reward.

Once king Akbar had a great quarrel with Birbal so he left left the place and went some 30-40 miles away in a village. There he started living hiding his identity.

Now Birbal's position (Deevaan or Minister) could not be kept empty so the king appointed his brother-in-law (wife' brother) in Birbal's place. Although Akbar didn't like this but he had to do this to please his wife. Very soon the city got undisciplined and complaints started coming to the king.

This was the time to test his brother-in-law's intelligence. So he went out to a Peer's Mazaar (the tomb of a saint). While returning from there he saw a footmark of an elephant. He asked his brother-in-law to protect that mark for three days. Baadshaah (king) went to his palace and his brother-in-law starting vigilance around it. The first day passed, the new Deevaan could not get any food; the second day also passed without any food. The third day he got very weak, but somehow survived. The fourth day he went to the kming and told everything to him.

Baadshaah thought "I have to call Birbal back, I can't do with this Deevaan." So he found a way to get him back. He announced that there is some quarrel over a government well so all Zameendaar (owner) of nearby villages should come to him with their wells, otherwise they will have to pay fine of 10,000 Rupees (Indian currency).

This order was heard in that village also min which Birbal lived. Its Zameendaar abused the king that "That this king has gone mad. Has anybody ever heard moving wells to other places? But if I did not go then I will have to pay 10,000 Rupees fine which is a lot of money."

When Birbal heard this, he knew that it was a trick to find Birbal. He thought that now is the time to reveal his identity and keep king's words. So he explained something to the Zameendaar and next day the Zameendaar along with Birbal and some of his servants arrived in Delhi. They did not enter the city, they stayed outside the city and sent a messenger to king - "Huzoor, According to your orders we are here with our wells, now you sent your wells to welcome them."

When Akbar heard this, he understood that Birbal was there. He asked the Zameendaar - "Who told this to tell me? Tell me the truth." The Zameendaar said - "Some time ago, a stranger came to stay in our village, he has asked us to tell you this." When asked about his form, it matched Birbal's. Then he sent his people to welcome Birbal and he was brought into the city with a great pomp and show. Birbal was again appointed on his old position.

This time the king asked Birbal to protect that footmark of elephant. Birbal said "Done". He fixed an iron bar near the footmark and tied a 50-yard rope to it and told the villagers that whoever's house will fall inside the circumference of that rope his house will be demolished to protect that footmark."

People requested him not to do so and gave him Rupees as bribery not to demolish their house. Thus he collected approximately 100,000 (1 Lakh) Ruees. He deposited that money in the royal treasury and told the king that the work is done and 100,000 Rupees have been deposited in his treasury.

The king called his brother-in-law and said to him - "You were hungry for three days and gained nothing while protecting the footmark, but see, Birbal has earned 100,00 Rupees in one day only. That is why you can never be my Deevaan." The brother-in-law went away from there hanging his head down.

Once Birbal was invited for dinner by a rich man. When Birbal reached there, he found himself in a large crowd. The host greeted him warmly and took him inside. Birbal said, "I did not know that there will be so many guests in this gathering." The host replied politely, "They are not guests, Sir. They are my employees except one who is the only other guest here besides you. Could you tell who is that other one guest here?"

"Maybe, I could. Tell them a joke, and I will observe them." The rich man told the joke and everybody laughed uproariously. Perhaps this was the worst joke Birbal had ever heard in his life. Now the rich man asked Birbal, "I have told the joke, now you tell me who is the other guest here?" Birbal pointed out towards a man and said, "He is that other guest."  The rich man was very surprised hearing this that how could he recognize the other guest. He said to him, "You are right Birbal, but how did you recognize him?"

Birbal said, "Because only employees can laugh on such a joke. He was the only person who did not even smile on your joke, so I immediately recognized him as the other guest."

Akbar's court was famous for the witty question answer sessions

On one such occasion - Akbar asked his courtiers whether they could tell the difference between the truth and the false within three words. All courtiers got busy in finding out the three words or less to tell the difference between the truth and the false. But enough time passed and they could not tell.

"What about you, Birbal?"  "His Majesty!" Birbal looked around and replied, "Four fingers" The King got surprised and asked him, "How, Birbal?" "Yes, Your Majesty, this is the difference between truth and false. Because what your eyes see is truth, and what your ears hear, more often than not, may be false."

"That is right, but then why do you say "four fingers"?" Akbar said. Birbal bowed a little and said, "Because Your Majesty, only four fingers is the distance between ear and eyes." Akbar was very astonished to hear this reply.

On another occasion -  Akbar drew a line on the floor and asked his courtiers to shorten it without touching it. No courtier could do it. The Birbal came forward and drew another longer line beside it. Now the King's line was shorter than Birbal's line.

On another occasion, Akbar asked what is that thing which sun and moon cannot see but others can see. As usual his courtiers could not get a even a clue. Then Birbal said, "Darkness, Huzoor."

One day Birbal's five-year old daughter accompanied him to the Royal Court. When Akbar saw her, it just came to his mind that he should test her wits whether she had the same type of wits as her father had.

He started talking to her. "Do you know Persian, O little girl?" "A little lesser and a little more, Sir" The girl replied. Birbal smiled on her reply, but Akbar could not understand it, so he asked Birbal to explain this.

Birbal said, "She knows Persian a little more than those who do not know Persian, and knows a little lesser than those who know Persian well."

Akbar understood, that she had the same wits as her father.

One day the Emperor Akbar saw a woman hugging and kissing a very dark, ugly and unattractive child. He was very surprised to see that. He thought and thought but could not think why? He asked Birbal that why she was doing that to such an unattractive child. Birbal replied innocently, "Huzoor, he must have been her own child. For every mother her own child is the most beautiful child in the world."

The Emperor did not seem to be convinced with this explanation, and Birbal had guessed this from the Emperor's face. Next day, in the presence of the Emperor, Birbal ordered a Guard to present the most beautiful child in the world in the court. Next day, the Guard brought a more unattractive and ugly child with buck teeth and his hair stood like a porcupine and presented to the Emperor. "This is the most beautiful child in the world, Your majesty." the Guard stammered.

The Emperor asked, "How do you know that he is the most beautiful child in the world?" "Your Majesty, I went home and posed my problem to my wife. She told me to bring our child to the court." the Guard replied meekly.

One day, the Mullaa Nasruddin was going back after having an audience with the Emperor, that his one coin fell down from his pocket. It was the only money he had at that time so he started immediately looking for it. Muraad, who was his one of his bitterest enemies at the court, said, "See Your Majesty, how miser he is? You have bestowed so much money on him, still he is after a copper coin."

Mullaa said quickly, "It is not because of the value of the coin, Your Majesty, that I am looking for it. I am looking for it because one side of that coin bears your resemblance, and I don't want people trampling on it."

Akbar was so pleased to hear this reply that he pulled off his diamond ring from his finger and gave it to the Mullaa.

One time it happened so that the Mullaa Nasruddin displeasured the Sultan, so the Sultan asked one of his men to slay him and bring him his head.

The Mullaa was very upset with this. He went to Birbal and asked him how to save himself. Birbal said, "It is a difficult situation but let me try. Rest is your luck." And he told him how to act.

The Mullaa, however, could persuade the man to take him alive to the court. Sultan was very furious seeing Mullaa alive in his court. He asked the soldier, "Didn't I tell you to bring Mullaa's head to the Court, not the Mullaa himself?"   The Mullaa Nasruddin said politely, "It is not his fault, Huzoor. I asked him to do so. You know whenever you want anything done, I don't trust anybody else lest it is badly done. So I thought let me do it myself. So I decided to bring my head myself on my shoulder. My head is here, Huzoor."

Akbar was very pleased with this defense that he allowed Mullaa to keep his head on his shoulder.

One day the Emperor asked Birbal, "Birbal, is it possible to be the "noblest" and the "lowest" together?" Birbal said, "Yes, Jahaanpanaah"  "Then bring me such a person."

Birbal went and returned next day with a beggar and presenting him to Akbar said, "This is the lowest among all of your subjects, Jehanpanah" Akbar asked, "Good, that may be true, but I don't see that how he can be the noblest?"

"He has been given the honor of having an audience with the Emperor, that makes him the noblest among the beggars, Jahaanpanaah."

One day, when Akbar saw Hodja coming on foot, he promised him to give a horse. Accordingly, he instructed his stable man to give a horse to Hodja. Now, it so happened that the stable man selected a very weak and sick horse from the stable and sent it to Hodja's house. The horse was so weak and sick that it died on the same night it was delivered.

When next day Akbar saw Hodja coming on foot again, he asked in surprise, "What happened to your horse, I arranged yesterday?" Hodja said, "Jahaanpanaah, the horse had a fleet of feet that it crossed the distance from earth to Heaven in one night."

Akbar was very sorry to know this, and this time he arranged a very good horse for him.

One day the Mullaa Nasruddin was going somewhere. He met a man carrying a milk can. The man said to Mullaa, "Mullaa Jee, I have some problem, I want your advice." "Why not, what is that problem?" said the Mullaa eyeing on his milk can.

The man said, "Whenever I get up in the morning, I feel intoxicated. I don't know what to do, and I don't understand what may be the problem." Mullaa asked, "What do you take in the last before you sleep?" The man said, "Normally I drink milk."

The Mullaa said, "Now I understood, this is your problem." "What is that?" asked the man perplexedly. The Mullaa said to him, "Because milk causes the intoxication." "How?" asked the man innocently. Mullaa explained to him, "You drink milk before sleeping. In sleep, you toss around. So milk gets churned. It turns into butter, butter gets churned, it turns into fat. Fat gets churned, it turns into sugar. Then sugar gets churned, and it turns into alcohol. So when you wake up in the morning you wake up with alcohol in your stomach, that is why you feel intoxicated."

"So what do I do?" asked the man in simplicity. Mullaa said, "It is so simple. Don't drink milk. Here, Give it to me." Mullaa virtually snatched the milk can from the man and went on his way. The poor man stood there bewildered. He went to Birbal and got his milk back somehow.

One day Akbar was stumbled on a rock in his garden while taking a stroll. He was not in a good mood already, and then this fall. He got very angry and ordered for the gardener's arrest and execution.

The next day, at the time of execution, the gardener was asked what his last wish was. He requested for an audience with the Emperor. His wish was granted and he was brought in the Court. When he came near the throne, he loudly cleared the throat and spat at the feet of the Emperor. The Emperor demanded to know why did he do such a thing. The gardener did this on Birbal's advice, so Birbal stepped forward in the gardener's defense.

He said, "There could be no person more loyal than this unfortunate gardener. Fearing that you ordered him for hanging for a small reason, he went out of his way to give you a genuine reason for ordering him to be hanged."

The Emperor realized his mistake and set him free.

One day Birbal happened to pass a harmless comment on Akbar's sense of humor. But Akbar was no fool. He got very angry and ordered him to not only leave the court, but also the city of Agra, his capital. Birbal was terribly hurt but could not do anything about it. So Birbal left. But now Akbar was missing him. He wanted him back in the Court. He could not do anything without him because he didn't know hi whereabouts. Nobody else also knew where he was.

One day an intelligent Saadhu (saint) came to his court and told him the way to search for him. Now Akbar did as the Saadhu said to him. He announced that he will give one thousand gold coins whosoever will come to his Court in half sun and in half shade.

Next day a villager came carrying a string cot over his head and claimed the money. He said, "I am in half sun and in half shade."  Akbar understood that this man cannot do it himself. On interrogation he confessed that Birbal suggested him this plan. Akbar was very happy to hear this. Immediately he called Birbal and they had a happy reunion.

One day Hodjaa loaded some vegetables on his donkey and set to market. After a distance the donkey stopped going further and stayed where it was. Now Hodjaa was in a hurry, first he coxed the donkey to get moving but when it refused to walk further, then he started beating it.

One day, one man wanted to punish a man named Hasan. He accused him of stealing his necklace, and reported this theft in the police. The case was brought in the Judge's court. Judge knew Hasan very well, and he also knew that he was not a thief.

So he asked the man, "Why do you think that Hasan has stolen your necklace?" The man replied, "Your Honor, I have seen him stealing the necklace." Hasan said, "I am innocent, Your Honor. I do not know anything about his necklace."

The man then said, "All right, if he is innocent, let him prove his innocence. let me bring the hot iron, and if he can hold it in his bare hands, then I will agree that he has not stolen my necklace, and he is speaking truth."

The man said, "It means that if I am speaking the truth, then I will not burn my hands with that red hot iron?"  "Yes, you are right. God will protect you."

Now Hasan could not do anything but to hold red hot iron in his hands to prove his innocence, and that he was speaking the truth. He asked judge to give him one day to look for that necklace again. The judge gave him permission. He went home.

He took advice from Birbal. He returned next day he came back and said, "I am ready for that, Sir, if you think so. But the same thing should apply to him too. If he is speaking the truth, then the red hot iron should not burn his hands also. So let him bring that red hot iron holding in his both hands, then I will hold that iron in my bare hands."

Now the man was speechless. He told the Judge that he would go and search his necklace again in his house, maybe it was misplaced somewhere there, bowed hastily and went away.

Once Akbar asked Birbal to bring four fools of the first order to him. He said - "It is not difficult because this world is full of fools. Birbal said - "OK" and asked some time to find them, which Akbar readily gave to him.

Now Birbal started looking for fools. He was going somewhere that he saw a man carrying a large plate on which were kept some clothes, betel leaves and sweets. He looked like a fool to Birbal, so he asked him - "Where are you going to? And to whom you are carrying this?" The man replied - "My wife has remarried. Now they have a child so I am taking this gift for them." Birbal got convinced that he was a fool, so he considered him a candidate to take to the king.

At another time he saw a man riding a buffalo carrying a bundle of grass on his head. Birbal thought he was also a fool, so he asked him - "Why are you carrying this bundle on your head?" The man replied - "In fact my buffalo is pregnant, so I thought that she should not carry too much load, that is why I have put this bundle on my own head instead of putting it on it." Birbal considered him also a candidate to take to the king.

So next morning he took those people to Akbar's court and presented them to him as the biggest fools.  "But these are only two fools; where are the other two? I asked you to bring four fools." King asked. Birbal folded his hands and bending a little said - "Jehaanpanaah, The third fool are you who asked me to bring the fools; and the fourth fool is me who has brought these fools for you."

When the king heard about them, he laughed a lot on their foolishness.

Once a man sold his well to a farmer. Next day when farmer went to draw the water from that well, the man did not allow him to draw the water from it. He said, "I have sold you the well, not the water, so you cannot draw the water from the well."

The farmer became very sad, and came to the Emperor's court. He described everything to the Emperor, and asked for the justice.

The Emperor called Birbal and handed over this case to him. Birbal called the man who sold the well to the farmer. Birbal asked, "Why don't you let him use the water of the well. You have sold the well to the farmer." The man replied, "Birbal, I have sold the well to the farmer, not the water. He has no right to draw the water from the well."

Then Birbal smiled and said to him, "Good, but look, since you have sold the well to this farmer, and you claim that water is yours, then you have no right to keep your water in the farmer's well. Either you pay rent to the farmer to keep your water in his well, or you take that out of his well immediately."

The man understood, that his trick has failed. Birbal has outwitted him.

Once a scholar came to Akbar's Court and challenged Birbal to answer his question. He wanted to test Birbal's wits, whether he was really like that as he heard about him. Birbal accepted the challenge. Then the scholar asked Birbal, "Whether you would like to answer one hundred easy questions or one difficult question. Akbar and Birbal had a very long day, they were in a hurry to go home, so Birbal agreed on one difficult question.

The scholar asked, "Who came first? Chicken or egg?" Birbal answered the question without giving any second thought, "The chicken"   The scholar was astonished to hear that, "How do you know?"

"We agreed up on only one question, so no second question." Birbal said. And Akbar and Birbal left the Court without looking back at him.

A person was very fond of parrots. He used to catch parrots, train them and sell them to interested people. One time he got a good parrot, so he trained him in talking, and when he was trained he presented him to king. King liked the parrot because he used to reply his questions too.

The king made special arrangements for his safety, security and care and if somebody will tell me about hi death, he will be hung. Hearing this the parrot was kept under special care. But one day suddenly the parrot died. Now who should go and inform this to king?

The servant went to Birbal and told him his plight. He said - "If I inform him about parrot's death, then he will kill me, but if I do not tell him, then also he will kill me, so please save me."

Birbal thought a while and sent him back to his work, and he himself went to the king and said - "Sir, Your parrot..." King asked -"What about parrot?" Birbal again stammered - "Your parrot, Sir." King asked - "Birbal, What happened to my parrot?" Birbal again said - "Your parrot..." King asked - "I am asking you, what happened to  my parrot? Say something in the name Allaah."

Then Birbal said - "Jehaanpanaah, Your parrot neither eats anything, nor drinks water, nor speaks, nor moves his feathers, nor opens his eyes..." The king said - "What? Has the parrot died?" Birbal said - "I did not say it. You said it."

King understood why Birbal had to say this in this way. He got very happy with Birbal's way of telling him about his parrot.

Akbar always used to admire Birbal. Because of that many other courtiers used to be envy with him so they always thought some or the other way to let him down.

Once one of them said to king - "Huzoor, You always give work to Birbal, we can also do the same what Birbal can do, just give us a try." King said - "OK, Let me give you some work." He called one of them and said - "I give you three Rupees (Indian currency). You go and buy three things from them of one Rupee each. The first thing should be of "here", the second thing should be of "there", and the third thing should be of "neither her, nor there".

That courtier immediately went to market and asked those things from the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper laughed loudly - "Where in the world you can get these things? You can't." Tired of searching those thing the courtier came back empty-handed and reported to king - "These things cannot be got anywhere at any price. So if Birbal can bring them then we will consider him great."

Akbar called Birbal and asked him to bring the same things. Birbal said - "They will be here tomorrow." Next day as Birbal came in the court, Akbar reminded him his things. Birbal said - "Yes Jehaanpanaah, The first Rupee I gave to one beggar. That reached God from there (the other world). The second Rupee I spent to buy some sweets, that was used here; and third Rupee I spent in playing dice, this Rupee is neither used here nor there (the other world).

All courtiers were very surprised to hear Birbal's logic. Akbar gave him a big prize.

One day Hodjaa and his friend were coming back from somewhere. There was a stream in the way. The bridge on that stream was very old, narrow and muddy. Hodjaa managed somehow to cross that bridge, but his friend couldn't do it. He fell at the edge. Hodjaa immediately offered his help, and let him grasp his hand to bring his friend come out.

His friend felt obligated and immediately promised him to give twenty Deenaars for saving his life. Hodjaa said "Thank you" and let him go into the water. The man managed somehow to come out of the water. The man said, "Why did you do so?" Hodjaa said, "To take my reward."

The man said, "Couldn't you have waited for me to come out of the water safely?".  On this Hodjaa said, "Couldn't you have waited till you came out of the water and stood on the ground?"

Once the King Akbar heard that a certain astrologer was boasting for his accurate predictions. He called him for a test. When he came to the Court, he asked him, "I have heard that you predict very accurately." The astrologer was trembling with fear. "Tell me, when will you die?"

The astrologer said he will have to consult his charts to predict it correctly. The King gave him one hour time to do so. Instead of consulting his charts, the astrologer went to Birbal and described the whole thing. Birbal gave him advice as what he should say to the King.

The astrologer returned to the Court and told the king, "He would die three days before the King." Akbar understood very well that he was bluffing, but he did not want to take any chance, so he let him go. Thus Birbal  saved the astrologer's life.

Once a woman came to Birbal for his help. She said that the King wanted to construct some building on the land where her house was. She did not want to leave that place because that place belonged to her ancestors. Birbal said he would try his best.

Construction began. Now, one day, Birbal came to that site with King Akbar for inspection. He saw many gunny bags lying near the pile of mud. Birbal started filling the gunny bags with that mud. "Why are you doing this, Birbal?" asked the King. Birbal replied, "To earn merit for my next life."

Amused by this statement, Akbar also joined him. After Birbal had filled some bags, he requested Akbar to lift one of the gunny bags filled with mud. "Oh, it is very heavy." Akbar said lifting one bag. Birbal said, "Think Huzoor, when only one bag is so heavy, how much mud will weigh in this piece of land. Will it not weigh heavily on your conscience?"

Akbar realized his mistake and ordered to stop construction on that site.

Once a Pandit came to Akbar's court and expressed his desire to test the intelligence of his courtiers. Akbar granted the permission, so all his courtiers gathered in the court at the appointed time. The Pandit had a pot covered with a cloth. He asked the courtiers, "What is in the pot?"

Everybody was silent. Nobody knew how to tell the contents of a covered pot. Then Birbal came forward, he uncovered the pot, peeped inside, and said, "There is nothing inside the pot. It is empty."

The Pandit said, "But you opened it." Birbal said, "But you never said not to open it." Pandit understood that he was at mistake. He bowed to the Emperor and walked away.

Once the Emperor Akbar was riding near a mango grove. An arrow whizzed past him. His soldiers rushed to the grove and caught the person who did this. He was a young boy. On asking why did he want to kill the Emperor, he said that he did not want to kill the Emperor, he just wanted to knock down a mango from a high branch.

The Emperor was too angry to listen to him. He ordered to put him to death in the same way as the boy wanted to kill him.

A soldier tied the boy with a tree stump and steadied his arrow to kill him. Birbal, who was watching all this process quietly so far, now shouted, "This is not fair. If you want to shoot him in the same way as he tried to shoot the Emperor, then you will have to aim for a mango. And then the arrow has to miss the mango and strike the boy."

Akbar had calmed down by now. Thinking that it was unfair to the boy, he ordered his soldiers to release the boy. Thus Birbal saved that innocent boy.

One day a man gave a jar to his neighbor to keep until he comes back from the pilgrimage. The jar had his life's earnings. After keeping it safely, the man left for the pilgrimage. After six months when he returned from the pilgrimage, he went to his neighbor and asked for his jar.

The neighbor brought the jar and gave it to the man. The man opened the jar and found the mango pickle, instead of his money. He said to the neighbor politely, "Sir I gave the money to you in this jar, now it contains pickle." The neighbor said, "I don't know anything about your money. Whatever you gave to me I kept it, and only now I am bringing it out to give it to you."

The man got very sad and went to Birbal for justice. Birbal asked the neighbor, "Where is the money which was kept in this jar." The neighbor said, "I have already told that I do not know anything about the money kept in this jar. I didn't open it before, and I didn't open it now. I just took it and kept it as it was, and took it out as it was."

Then Birbal called some women from the Royal kitchen, and asked them, "How old this pickle is?" They said it is definitely not six months old. It is very new, maybe a month old only."

Now the neighbor got caught. He returned all the money he took out from the jar.

One day King Akbar said to Birbal, "Birbal, my people are very obedient to me. They love me very much." Birbal smiled and replied, "This is  true, but they fear you too, Jahaanpanaah." Akbar could not agree on this, so it was decided that Birbal's statement should be tested.

Next day, according to Birbal's instructions, the King announced that he would be going for hunting, and people should pour a pot of milk in a tub kept in the courtyard. Next day when Akbar returned from hunting, he found that there was no milk in the tub, instead there was only water. Akbar got very disappointed, but couldn't do anything.

Then Birbal said, "This time you will announce that you will come back and see the tub yourself." King did as Birbal said. Once again the tub was kept in the courtyard. This time when King returned from the hunting, he found the tub overflowing with milk. Bitbal said, "I told you. It is your fear which made people obey you. The first time there was no one to check the tub, so people poured the water, but the second time, they knew that you would check yourself, that is why they brought the milk."

Story 38 - Birbal and Akbar's Ring

Once Akbar went for hunting, and there his ring fell in a dry well. Now how to take that ring out. They did not have any means to take it out. Then Birbal said, "Huzoor, if you give me some time I can take your ring out of this well. Akbar had no alternative.

Birbal went around and brought some fresh cow dung and threw it on the ring. He then tied a stone on one end of a string, and holding the other end in his hand threw the stone on the cow dung. He waited for a long time - cow dung to be dried, and then pulled the string out of the well. The string brought the stone, the stone was stuck into cow dung and the cow dung had the Emperor's ring at its bottom.

Once Akbar had a dream that his all teeth have fallen down except one. In the morning he invited all the astrologers and asked them to interpret this dream. All the astrologers sat to interpret that dream. At last they all reached on this conclusion that it meant that - all of his relatives will die before him. So they said to Akbar.

Hearing this Akbar felt very bad and got concerned about his relatives. He sent all the astrologers away without giving anything. He got restless. The whole day passed, but he could not find rest in his mind. In the evening Birbal came. Akbar told his dream to Birbal too and asked him to interpret it.

Birbal thought for a minute and said, "This means Huzoor, that you will live very long and much fufiled life than any of your relatives."   Hearing this Akbar got very pleased and he rewarded him heavily.

Once a Braahman named Sevaaraam came to Birbal for his help. He told him that his father was a very good Pandit and all people use to call him Pandit Jee. Since he cannot do all those things, nobody calls him Pandit Jee. Although he was very much contented with his work, life, income but he had this wish that all people should call him Pandit Jee. Birbal said it was not difficult at all, but he had to follow his advice word by word. Pandit agreed.

Birbal said, "Whenever somebody calls you Pandit Jee, you should be very angry and shout at him loudly, that is all." Pandit agreed. Next day Birbal went to the locality where that Pandit used to live. There he talked to the children. He came to know that children didn't like him because he used to scold them. So he told them if you call that man "Pandit Jee, Pandit Jee" he will get irritated, and you could take your revenge. Children were very happy.

From next day the children started calling him "Pandit Jee", "Pandit Jee"; and the Braahman started to shout at them. After some time Sevaaraam got tired of shouting but the children and other people kept calling him Pandit Jee. So the game was over, and the name "Pandit Jee" stuck to Sevaaram.

Once Akbar and Birbal were taking a stroll. It was winter season. Winter was at its peak at that time of season. A thought came to Birbal's mind, and he expressed to the Emperor, "A man can do anything for money."  Emperor also thought something, and he just dipped his finger in the almost freezing water of a nearby pond. He drew his hand immediately, and replied Birbal, "I don't think so. Do you think somebody can stand in this almost freezing water for the whole night for money?"  Birbal said, "I think so."

Birbal told that he can find such a man who can stand in this water for the whole night for money. Akbar couldn't believe, so he accepted the challenge and said that he would give one thousand gold coins to that man.

Next day Birbal brought a man who was very poor and thin. He told the King that that man would stand in that water. "Good"  the King said and sent him to that pond. Because he did not believe this, so he sent some guards too to see whether he was really standing in that almost freezing water for the whole night.

The man went away. Next day the man came back to claim his prize. Akbar asked his guards about the whole thing and they said, "Yes Huzoor, he stood there the whole night." Akbar asked that man, "Just tell me how did you stand in that cold water the whole water?" The man said, "There was a lamp post at some distance. I just gazed at it for the whole night. Heat of that lamp was my only hope."

Akbar refused to give him his prize saying that since he got the heat from that lamp, he was not in the cold water absolutely. Hearing this, the man got very disappointed and went away. When Birbal heard this, he didn't like it. Next day he didn't come in the court. Akbar got worried about him and send his men to bring him to the court.

The men went to his house and came back with the message that Birbal was cooking his Khichdee and only after eating that he will come to the court. One hour passed, two hours passed, several hours passed. Evening fell, but there was no sign of Birbal. Now Akbar got impatient, and got ready to see him himself.

So he went to Birbal's house. What he sees, that Birbal is sitting in a room, fire was burning and a pot was hung about 8-10 feet higher than the fire. The King asked, "Birbal what are you doing?"  Birbal replied, "Huzoor I am cooking my Khichdee."  Hearing this King and his people laughed loudly. Akbar said to him, "Birbal you can't cook your Khichdee in this way. It is not getting enough heat to be cooked."

Birbal said, "If that man can get the heat from such a distance to keep him enough warm to stand in this cold water for the whole night, then why my Khichdee can't be cooked in this way?"

King understood, and returned to his palace. Next day he called that man and gave his prize to him.

*Khichdee is an Indian dish, made of rice and split green beans mixed normally in equal amount with some salt. Normally people eat it in lunch in dysentery. It is supposed to be light food.

There was a poet named Raaydaas in Akbar's times. He was a very good poet. And there was a rich man also in Akbar's capital. But that rich man was enough miser too. He used to make promises to give something to somebody but never gave it to him. Raaydaas also heard this about that rich man, but didn't believe it.

So one day he went to that rich man and said to him that he had written many good poems and wanted to recite them before somebody who could appreciate his poems. He could not find any other man better than him.

The rich man got very happy, and asked him to recite his poems. The poet recited his poems, some poems were written in the praise of this rich man too. The rich man became very happy to hear those poems. So he promised to give him some money and asked him to come back next day.

Next day Raaydaas came to the rich man's house to take his reward but the rich man refused to recognize him. After some references, he said, "I said it only to encourage you, not that I wanted to reward you." Raaydaas got very disappointed and went away towards his house.

On the way he met Birbal, he told his story to Birbal. Birbal thought for a moment, then took out five gold coins and gave them to Raaydaas, and said, "Arrange a dinner for that rich man on next full moon night."  Raaydaas went away.

Raaydaas had a very good friend, Maayaadaas. He arranged the dinner in his house. In this dinner, food was to be served in gold pots and the guest was to take those pots to his house. Rich man was very happy for this invitation.

The full moon night came. The rich man came for the dinner. Now Raaydaas and Maayaadaas have already eaten their food first, so they were not worried about it. They talked and talked a lot but did not talk about the food. Midnight fell. The rich man was very hungry. When he could bear no longer, then he reminded about the food. Raaydaas said, "What food? We don't know anything about the food." Rich man said, "You have invited me for the dinner." Raaydaas said, "That is because we just wanted you to be here, not because that we wanted to offer you any food."

At that time Birbal entered the house and reminded the rich man the happening of Raaydaas. Now the rich man realized his mistake and begged for forgiveness. He said that Raaydaas was a very good poet and he will surely give his reward to him. He took out his necklace and gave to Raaydaas. Then they all sat for a happy meal. Raaydaas was also invited by Akbar and got reward from the Royal Court. Thanks to Birbal.

King Akbar was very fond of Birbal. This made many courtiers very jealous. One day one of those courtiers who always wanted to be the chief minister of the Emperor, got an idea. Since it was not possible as long as Birbal filled that position.

One day Akbar praised Birbal in front of the courtier. This made this courtier very angry and he said that the Emperor praised Birbal unjustly and if Birbal could answer his three questions, he would accept the fact that Birbal was intelligent. Akbar knew that Birbal will win so he immediately agreed.

His three questions were
1. How many stars were there in the sky
2. Where was the center of the Earth and
3. How many men and how many women were there in the world.

Immediately Akbar asked Birbal these three questions and instructed him that if he could not answer them, he would have to resign from the chief minister's position.

To answer the first question, Birbal brought a sheep and said .There are as many stars in the sky as there is hair on this sheep.s body. My friend, the courtier, is welcome to count them if he likes..

To answer the second question, Birbal drew a couple of lines on the floor and bore an iron rod in it and said .this is the center of the Earth, the courtier may measure it himself if he doubts..

In answer to the third question, Birbal said .Counting the exact number of men and women in the world would be a problem as there are some specimens like our courtier friend here who cannot easily be classified as either. Therefore if all people like him are killed, then and only then can one count the exact number of men and women..

Akbar became very happy as always, and that courtier went away without saying a word.

Managing Your Future: Advice from Some of the World's Most Successful People 

Many successful men and women have commented on principles that led to their success. Often it seems that these principles are universal, and that they have been the guiding theme of almost every successful person's life. In today's Workshop, Jeff Moses highlights seven success principles that are based on advice from individuals in a variety of fields.

1) As Charles C. Noble once said, "You must have long-range goals to keep from being frustrated by short-range failures." It is important for a person to know where he or she wants to go, so many experts in the field of success management suggest writing down specific goals. For instance, write down exactly what you want to have achieved one year from now, five years from now, and ten years from now. Then write down exactly what you have to do to get there. This plan will help keep you on track so that you're not thrown off by short-range failures.

2) Abraham Lincoln said, "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than anything else." If successful people agree on any single point, it is that their own inner resolution to achieve their goals was powerful enough to overcome all outward obstacles. Set your vision high, then resolve to achieve your goals.

3) Don't be afraid to fail. Most successful people insist that they learned more from their failures than from their successes. In fact, many successful people have failed at many things they have attempted. The important thing is that they did not give up. "The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way," said Dale Carnegie. This theme is echoed throughout the volumes of success literature. "Failure is only the opportunity to more intelligently begin again," Henry Ford wrote.

4) Determine that you will excel in your chosen field. As Vince Lombardi said, "The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." Many times a person who is having difficulty in his or her field needs only to gain further training in order to be successful. Never regret or avoid spending time improving yourself. In almost all cases, the most successful people are the most equipped to achieve excellence.

5) Don't give up your values along the way. Malcolm Forbes once commented, "Contrary to the cliche, genuinely nice guys often finish first or very near it." You don't have to sell out to succeed. Seek out business relationships with others who value honesty and ethical behavior. Creating and nourishing such relationships will provide a foundation for your own success.

6) Persistence is the key to meeting goals. On this topic John D. Rockefeller wrote: "I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature."

7) As a person's career progresses, inevitable ups and downs occur. Many unplanned obstacles appear along the way. In the face of these, courage is necessary, because only courage can keep a person on target. "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear," said Mark Twain. "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you must stop and look fear in the face...You must do the thing you think you cannot do," wrote Eleanor Roosevelt.

These principles and others are the key for today's entrepreneur to reach the goals they have set for themselves. Studying the world's success literature enables a person to understand how others have been successful. Taking these great words to heart is an important aspect of managing our own successful futures.