The Donkey's Relatives

It was a pleasant morning in the royal capital of Agra. Emperor Akbar and his wise minister, Birbal, were enjoying a walk along the banks of the Yamuna River. The cool breeze was blowing, and the birds were chirping.

As they walked, they saw a washerman by the riverbank. He was trying to get his donkey to carry a heavy load of clothes, but the donkey was being very stubborn. It stood planted on the ground, refusing to move an inch. Hee-haw! Hee-haw! The donkey brayed loudly, tossing its head.

Emperor Akbar was in a playful mood. He looked at the donkey and then at Birbal. He decided to tease his minister. “Birbal,” said Akbar with a grin, “listen to that! That donkey is looking right at you and braying so passionately. It sounds like he is talking to you.” Akbar laughed. “Perhaps he is one of your distant relatives calling out to say hello?”

The courtiers who were following behind chuckled softly, waiting to see if Birbal would get angry. But Birbal never got angry. He stopped walking and looked at the donkey with great interest. He tilted his head as if listening to a very important message. Then, to everyone’s surprise, Birbal walked up to the donkey, bowed respectfully, and whispered something back.

He returned to the Emperor with a serious face. “You are absolutely right, Your Majesty,” said Birbal. “He is indeed a relative. And he was trying to tell me something very important.”

Akbar was curious now. “Oh? And what secret did this ‘relative’ of yours verify?”

Birbal sighed dramatically. “He gave me some brotherly advice, Your Majesty. He said, ‘Birbal, listen to me. I was born a donkey because in my past life, I was a man who didn’t work hard and didn’t use my brain. I just followed others blindly. If you want to remain a human and a wise minister, you must always think before you speak.’”

Birbal paused and looked at the Emperor with a twinkle in his eye. “And then he added one more thing: ‘And never, ever try to make fun of people who are wiser than you, or you might be born as a donkey in your next life too!’”

Emperor Akbar stood frozen for a moment. Then he burst into loud laughter. “Touché, Birbal! Touché!” cried the Emperor. “I tried to make you a donkey’s relative, but you have turned the lesson back on me!”

Akbar realized that no matter how hard he tried, he could never outwit Birbal. They continued their walk, good friends as always.

Moral of the Story: Think before you mock others; the joke might turn on you. wit allows you to turn an insult into a lesson.

Moral of the Story: Think before you mock others; the joke might turn on you.