The Three Statues – Akbar Birbal Story for Kids

A wise envoy from a faraway kingdom visited the court of Emperor Akbar. He had heard great tales of the Emperor’s wisdom and the intelligence of his nine gems (ministers). He wanted to test if these stories were true.

The envoy bowed respectfully and presented the Emperor with three wooden statues. They were beautifully carved dolls, painted with care. To the naked eye, they looked exactly the same—same size, same smiling face, same colorful clothes.

“Your Majesty,” said the envoy, “These statues are a gift. But they are also a puzzle. Although they look identical, they are very different in value. One is Excellent, one is Average, and one is Bad. If your court can identify which is which, I will admit that your wisdom is superior to ours.”

Akbar accepted the challenge. He called his ministers. “Examine these dolls,” he ordered.

The ministers came forward. They measured the dolls. They weighed them. They looked at the paint with magnifying glasses. “They are exactly the same weight, Your Majesty,” said one. “They are made of the same wood,” said another. “They look identical to me,” said a third.

The court was worried. If they failed, the Emperor’s reputation would be ruined. Finally, Akbar turned to his most trusted minister. “Birbal, can you solve this?”

Birbal stepped forward. He took the three dolls and examined them closely. He didn’t look at the outside; he looked for something hidden. He noticed a tiny hole in the ear of each doll.

“I need a thin piece of flexible straw,” requested Birbal.

A servant brought a long, thin straw. The entire court watched in silence as Birbal began his test.

He took the first doll and pushed the straw into its right ear. To everyone’s surprise, the straw came straight out of the doll’s mouth. Birbal placed this doll aside and said, “This is the Bad doll.”

He took the second doll and pushed the straw into its ear. This time, the straw came out of the other ear. Birbal nodded and said, “This is the Average doll.”

He took the third doll and pushed the straw into its ear. The straw went in, deeper and deeper, and did not come out at all. It fell into the doll’s hollow stomach and stayed there. Birbal smiled broadly. “And this,” he declared, “is the Excellent doll.”

The envoy was stunned. “You are correct,” he warned. “But can you explain why to the court?”

“Certainly,” said Birbal, turning to the Emperor. “The first doll represents a person who cannot keep a secret. Whatever they hear with their ears, they immediately speak out with their mouth. Such a person cannot be trusted, and so they are ‘Bad’.”

“The second doll,” Birbal continued, “represents a person who listens but does not understand or care. Whatever goes in one ear comes out the other. They do not retain wisdom. They are ‘Average’.”

“But the third doll,” concluded Birbal, “represents a Wise person. Whatever they hear, they keep it safe inside. They digest the information, think about it, and keep secrets faithfully. They do not blabber. This person is ‘Excellent’.”

The whole court applauded Birbal’s wisdom. The envoy bowed deeply. “One who knows the value of silence is truly wise,” he said. “Your fame is well-deserved, Birbal.”

Moral of the Story: A wise person knows when to listen and when to speak. Keeping a secret is a sign of great character.