Kings are very much fond of taking tests of the wisdom of
their courtiers. To do so they sometimes ask them very peculiar questions.
Once, a similar incident took place in the court of Akbar.
King Akbar asked his courtiers, “Which is the best weapon?” Some said sword,
some spear, while the others opined bows and arrows. Birbal did not say
anything.
At the end, the king turned to Birbal and asked for his
opinion, “Birbal, which weapon does you feel is the most effective?”
Birbal replied instantly, “Your Majesty, the best weapon is
the one that turns out to be useful at the required point of time.”
“What kind of answer was that, Birbal,” asked King Akbar, who
was slightly confused.
“Your Majesty, I know that you will not be able to understand
the meaning of my answer right now. I need some time to prove myself,” said
Birbal.
After few days, Birbal made arrangements to prove his
argument. One fine day, he asked King Akbar to have a stroll in the kingdom.
Akbar willingly agreed and went out with Birbal. Wandering and talking, they
both entered a narrow street. Suddenly they saw a huge, mad elephant heading
towards them.
“Oh, my God! A mad elephant!’ Akbar gave an instant reaction,
“Birbal, let’s run away from here.”
“But, Your Majesty, this agile elephant is quite likely to
overtake us,” explained Birbal.
“God! What shall we do now?” Akbar felt for his sword but
then he thought that the sword would be
too small for such a gigantic elephant.
Birbal, without wasting a single moment, picked up a stray
pup and threw it on the elephant’s trunk. The poor frightened pup grabbed the
trunk tightly to prevent itself from falling. The elephant too got confused and
started moving backwards. “Majesty, this
is the golden opportunity to flee. Come on, let’s run.” Saying this, Birbal got
hold of Akbar’s hand and they both safely ran away. Birbal said, “Now tell me,
Majesty, in which category of weapons does this pup fall?”
Akbar smiled and said, “I have understood your point, Birbal.
Truly, the best weapon is the one that turns out to be useful during the times
of adversity.’ Saying this, King Akbar gifted him his precious diamond ring.
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