The True King

Emperor Akbar was very proud of his nine gems, especially Birbal. He often boasted that Birbal was the wisest man in the world. The King of a neighboring land, King Sher Singh, heard about this. “Is this Birbal truly so wise?” he wondered. “I must test him.” He laughed and sent an invitation to Akbar. “Please send your wise minister Birbal to my court. I wish to honor him.”

Birbal traveled to the kingdom of Sher Singh. He arrived at the palace gates. He was led into the Grand Durbar Hall. As he entered, he stopped in clear surprise. There, in front of him, were six identical thrones. And on the six thrones sat six identical Kings! They were all dressed in identical red velvet robes. They all wore the same heavy gold crowns. They all had the same mustache and the same belt. They all sat perfectly still, like statues. The Prime Minister of the kingdom stepped forward. “Welcome, Birbal,” he said with a smirk. “Our King is honored to meet you. If you are truly wise, please step forward and bow to the real King. But be careful! If you bow to an impostor, you will be insulted and thrown into the dungeon!”

The courtiers held their breath. It looked impossible. It was like looking at a hall of mirrors. Birbal smiled calmly. He walked slowly down the red carpet. He peered at the first King. The King stared back. He looked at the second King. The King blinked. He walked past the third, fourth, and fifth Kings. He didn’t say a word. Then, he stopped in front of the sixth King—the one sitting at the far end. Birbal bowed low, touching his forehead to the floor. “Greetings, Your Majesty,” he said. “Long live the King!”

The hall was silent for a second. Then, the “King” on the throne burst into laughter. “Well done! Well done!” He stood up and removed his crown. It was indeed the real King Sher Singh. The other five “Kings” stood up and bowed to him—they were just ordinary actors dressed up. “Tell me, Birbal,” asked King Sher Singh, amazed. “How did you know? The disguise was perfect. Even my own wife couldn’t tell us apart!”

Birbal explained, “It was simple, Your Majesty. You cannot hide the nature of a King. When I looked at the first five men, I saw their eyes moving. They were nervous. They kept glancing at you from the corner of their eyes. They were looking for your approval, afraid to make a mistake. They looked like servants pretending to be masters. But when I looked at you, you did not look at anyone else. You looked straight ahead with confidence. You were calm. You were not afraid of being discovered, because you are the King. A true lion does not look at the sheep for permission.”

King Sher Singh was delighted. “Akbar was right,” he declared. “You are indeed a gem.” He gave Birbal a bag of diamonds and sent him home with great honor.

Moral of the Story: Confidence comes from within. You cannot fake true leadership.