The Blind And The Sighted
The Blind and The Sighted bedtime story
One day, Birbal entered the court after Emperor Akbar. He bowed before the Emperor and stood.
The Emperor asked him, “Birbal! In this world, are the sighted or the blind greater in number? “
Birbal wondered how the Emperor had suddenly asked him such an odd question. He thought for a while and replied,” Maharaj! I cannot tell you the exact number at this moment. But I am sure that the blind are more in number than the sighted.”
The Emperor said, “How can you say that?”
Birbal then said,” If you want to make sure, I will show you tomorrow.”
The next day, Birbal placed an unwoven wooden cot in the middle of a crowded street. Then he started weaving it. Two clerks were sitting on both sides of Birbal with their pens and paper pads.
In no time, a big crowd of men gathered. to see what was going on. Each one who would come there was asking, “What are you doing Birbal?
Whoever would ask such a question, Birbal would ask one of the clerks to note down his name.
When the Emperor heard that Birbal was weaving a cot in the middle of the street, he at once rushed to that site and questioned, “Birbal, what are you doing? What are you up to?”
Without giving any reply, Birbal said to his clerk,“ Write the name of the Emperor in the first notebook!”
The Emperor saw the notebook and asked,“ The list of blinds! And my own name is written first in this list?”
Birbal said,“ Though you are being me weaving a cot, you are asking, “What are you doing?”
“Now, such a person should be regarded as blind! You tco asked me the same question and so, I was compelled to write your name also in the list of blind men. Those who asked, ‘Why are you weaving a cot?’ I have noted their names in the list of sighted individuals”
The Emperor noticed that not even a single page of the notebook containing the list of sighted individuals had been completed. But the first notebook was almost full.
Birbal then asked, “Maharaj, now you are convinced that the number of blind men is far more than that of sighted ones? ”
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