The Emperor’s Value
The Emperor’s Value is amazing Short story of Akbar and Birbal
One day, while moving about in disguise the Emperor heard the conversation between two men. One of them was saying to the other, “You won’t understand my worth unless the time comes.
Suddenly, a thought occurred in Emperor Akbar’s mind that” If the worth of a man can be estimated, what would be my value? “Thinking about the palace.
He then asked the question,” What is my value? “Is the court. No one was able to answer him. Finally, all started this, he returned to the looking towards Birbal to answer the question. However, Birbal said calmly, “Maharaj, only a jeweler can tell you!”
At once, all the jewelers of the capital were brought to the court. The Emperor asked the same question to them. They were all quite confused with his question.
Finally, an elderly jeweler amongst them replied,” Maharaj! This job is quite difficult, please give us eight days’ time.”
The same evening, he and all the other jewelers went to Birbal and requested him to find a solution. Birbal assured them that he will surely find a way out and sent them back. Afterward, he went to the mint and ordered for a heavier and larger gold coin, than the normal ‘mohurs’.’
When the coin was ready, he called the jewelers. He filled a bag with one hundred gold coins along with the heavier one and gave it to them. he also told them what to do on the next day in the court.
Accordingly, the jewelers came to the court with the bag of coins and a weighing balance. The chief of the jewelers started weighing the gold coins, one after the other in the balance. Then at last he took out the heavier coin and weighing it said, “Maharaj, this is your value!”
The Emperor was surprised. He said, “What! Am I worth only a gold coin?
The jeweler then replied without hesitation, “Yes, Your Majesty! This coin is unique. All the other coins are similar but this one is different from the rest. In the same way, you are different from all the other common people. So, just as the price of this coin is more than the others, your value 81 a is greater than the common beings.”
The Emperor was pleased with the jeweler’s clever reply while all the jewelers secretly praised Birbal and happily went back home.
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