Birbal and the Talking Donkey

One day, Emperor Akbar overheard his courtiers gossiping about a supposed “magical donkey” that could speak. The courtiers claimed that this donkey had the ability to speak human words and even answer questions intelligently. Akbar, intrigued and always open to new ideas, immediately summoned Birbal.

“Birbal!” Akbar called, “I’ve heard that there is a donkey in the kingdom that can talk. Do you think you can get this donkey to speak in front of me?”

Birbal, ever the skeptic, raised an eyebrow. “Your Majesty, I’ve heard about this magical donkey too. But I’m not sure how much truth there is to this talk.”

Akbar was curious. “I want to see this talking donkey for myself. Go find it and bring it here tomorrow!”

Birbal smiled and bowed. “Your Majesty, if the donkey truly can talk, I will bring it to you tomorrow. If it doesn’t, you will owe me a feast for my efforts!”

The next day, Birbal set off to find the infamous talking donkey. He didn’t believe for a second that a donkey could talk, but he knew how to handle the situation. When he found the animal, he approached it calmly and whispered something to the donkey.

The donkey nodded as if it understood. Birbal had a plan.

The next morning, he returned to the court with the donkey in tow, and Akbar eagerly awaited the spectacle.

“Bring forth the talking donkey, Birbal!” Akbar demanded, his eyes twinkling.

Birbal led the donkey to the center of the court and announced, “Your Majesty, this is the famous talking donkey. Ask it anything, and it will respond.”

Akbar, with a mischievous grin, asked, “Alright, donkey, what is the meaning of life?”

The donkey stared at Akbar for a moment and then opened its mouth, only to let out a loud, “Eee-awww!”

The courtiers laughed, but Akbar remained serious. “Hmm, the donkey is obviously not impressed. Let’s try something else. Donkey, how many grains of rice are in my royal granary?”

Birbal whispered something to the donkey again, and the donkey replied, “Eee-awww!”

The courtiers erupted into laughter, and Akbar couldn’t help but chuckle too. Birbal, however, was unfazed. He turned to the king and said, “Your Majesty, the donkey speaks, but only in a language that is beyond our understanding. It’s clear that its wisdom is far too great for mere humans to comprehend.”

Akbar raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained but not convinced. “So, Birbal, what exactly did the donkey say?”

Birbal smiled slyly. “Oh, the donkey said that it cannot reveal its wisdom to mere mortals. It only speaks to those with pure hearts.”

The courtiers laughed even harder at Birbal’s quick thinking. Akbar, trying to keep a straight face, nodded slowly. “Well, Birbal, it seems your donkey is quite the philosopher!”

Birbal, grinning from ear to ear, led the donkey back out of the court, leaving Akbar and the courtiers in fits of laughter. As they watched him leave, Akbar could only say, “Birbal, you’ve once again shown me that the simplest things can be the most amusing.”