Indian Antiquary Vol 54

SR No.: 032546
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1985
Total Pages: 376
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 18 MB

Page 329

AuQuer, 1925)
FOLK TALES FROM NORTHERN INDIA
evil a thing is covetousness, when a man like you will lose his caste for such a petty sum." Birbal was ashamed, and returning to the Emperor, said :-"Covetousness is the vilest thing in the world."
70. The greatest leaf in the world.
(Recorded by Hazari Lal of Agra.) One day Akbar asked his courtiers which was the greatest leaf in the world. They named various kinds of leaves ; but Birbal said: “The leaf of the Nagar Bel is the greatest in the world, because it reaches as high as Your Majesty's lips." Now the betel leaf is called Nagar Bel or Indra Bel, because it is believed to grow in Nandana, the garden of Raja Indra.
71. The fruit of good wishes.
(Recorded by Hazari Lal of Agra.) Akbar once asked Birbal, "How much do you love me?" Bfrbal replied :-"Dil ko dil pahchanta hai," or in other words "I love you as much as you love me."
They went forth and met a milkmaid tripping along in the pride of her beauty. "Look at this silly girl," said the Emperor, "she can hardly walk straight, she thinks so much of herself.” When she came up to them, Birbal said to her, “The Emperor is dead." She began to laugh and said, "What matters it to me? He that buys my milk is Emperor."
By and by they met an old woman staggering under a load of wood. "How miserable a thing is poverty," said Akbar. Then said Bîrbal to her, "The Emperor is dead," on hearing which she began to wail and fell down on the road. "Now," said Birbal, "Your Majesty will see that people think of you as you think of them."
72. Akbar's questions.
(Recorded by Hazari Lal of Agra.) Akbar said once to Bîrbal, “I will ask two questions, to each of which you must give the same answer." The questions were :
“Why is the Brahman thirsty ?"
“Why is an ass disconsolate ?” To both Birbal replied, “Lota nahin," meaning in the case of the Brahman "He has no water-vessel," and in the case of the ass, "He has not had a roll."
73. Birbal's wit.
(Recorded by Hazari Lal of Agra.) Birbal once quarrelled with Akbar and went and hid himself in the city. Akbar could not discover his whereabouts. So at length he issued an order that two or three men should appear before him at noon, and stand half in the sun and half in the shade. No one understood how to comply with this order; so they went and consulted Birbal, who said "Put a bed on your heads and go to court, and you will be half in the shade and half in the sun." Akbar knew that they must have done this by Birbal's advice, and in this way discovered where he was and recalled him to court.
On another Occasion Akbar asked Birbal, "Was there anyone born at exactly the same moment that I was?" "Thousands," replied Birbal. "Then why am I an emperor," said Akbar, "and they poverty-stricken?” Birbal took a number of betel-leaves and asked Akbar to thread them on a string. Then he told him to unthread them and see if there was the same sized hole in each leaf. When Akbar found that every hole differed in size, Birbal, said, "Even so are there all sorts and conditions of men."
74. The result of Good Intentions.
(Recorded by Hazari Lal of Agra.) One day, when Akbar was talking with his courtiers, Birbal said, “Intention (niyat) is everything." "Prove it,” said Akbar. Soon after Akbar went hunting, and losing his way, was attacked by thirst. He saw an old woman watching a field of sugar-cane and asked her for a drink. She broke one of the canes and filled a cup for the Emperor.