Birbal’s Khichdi
On a chilly winter day, Akbar and Birbal strolled along the lake, where Birbal mused about the extent to which a person would go for money. Akbar, skeptical, dipped his finger into the cold lake, withdrawing it instantly. Doubting anyone would endure a night in such frigid waters, he challenged Birbal to find such a person, offering a reward of a thousand gold coins.
Birbal scoured the kingdom and discovered a destitute man desperate enough to accept the challenge. Guards were stationed to ensure the man’s compliance. The next morning, Akbar interrogated the man, who claimed to have spent the night in the lake. However, the king, cunningly noticing a nearby street lamp, asserted that the man had warmth from the lamp, denying him the reward.
Seeking justice, the poor man sought Birbal’s assistance. The following day, Birbal was absent from court. When the king inquired, a messenger relayed that Birbal would attend once his Khichri (rice) was cooked. Impatient, the king went to Birbal’s house and found him with burning twigs and a bowl of Khichri hanging five feet above the fire.
Amused, the king questioned, “How can the Khichri be cooked so far from the fire?”
Birbal cleverly responded, “The same way the poor man received heat from a street lamp more than a furlong away.”
Acknowledging his error, the king awarded the deserving poor man his promised reward.