Today, at Off The Press, we decided to get a little multicultural and dive into underrated folktales from other countries. And here is one of the most famous folktales from India!
Once upon a time, during the Mughal Empire, there lived a little man in a small village known as Birbal. (Birbal’s the name of the man, not the village) Birbal was widely known throughout the village for his rapid-fire wit, which he used to solve any problem imaginable. One time, a lady asked Birbal to find out which of her friends stole her valuable diamond ring. Birbal stated that the person who stole the diamond ring was the person who had straw in their hair. Now, none of the friends had straws in their hair, so when one person reached into their hair to feel the straw, Birbal pointed to them as the thief. Another time, Birbal met two men who were arguing over which one of them owned a nearby mango tree. Birbal suggested cutting the tree in half and splitting the resources equally. The first man agreed to this, while the second man lamented about the time and effort they put into growing that mango tree. With that, Birbal pointed to the second man as the true owner of the mango tree.
But one of the most important events in Birbal’s life occurred on a rainy day, when the rain was so hard that it sounded like bones being shattered. A man in a robe came to Birbal’s house, asking for food and shelter. Birbal, being generous, decided to let the man in and treat him to a dinner that was freshly cooked. The man asked, “What kind of curry is that?” Birbal said, “I’ll answer in a riddle: What kind of curry never goes rotten? Never-rotten korma!” The man laughed at Birbal’s joke as he started to eat dinner. As he ate, the man said, “This curry is amazing! It smells as divine as a jasmine flower, the most beautiful flower in the world!” Birbal said, “I disagree, I believe cotton is the most beautiful flower in the world, as we need it to make the clothes we use to stay warm.” The man was amazed at Birbal’s wise answer.
The next morning, when the sun was shining again, Birbal and the man went towards the road. “Can you tell me which of these roads can travel to Agra?” asked the man. “None of these roads can travel to Agra, as you need feet to travel, so how can a road travel without any feet?” The man laughed at this answer as Birbal pointed to the correct road that goes to Agra. “I really enjoyed your company, you should visit me sometime.” The man tossed a ring to Birbal, and Birbal just realized that he met with King Akbar.
When Birbal went to the palace, he met up with a guard, who showed him a ring to get inside. The guard, angry that the king was being nice to a commoner, told Birbal that whatever reward King Akbar was going to give him would ultimately belong to the guard, and if Birbal tried to get out of this, he would go to jail. Birbal shivered as he went towards King Akbar, but he thought up a plan. When King Akbar asked what Birbal would like as a reward, Birbal answered, “50 sour mangoes.” King Akbar gave Birbal the 50 sour mangoes, and Birbal headed out. Birbal gave the guard the mangoes, which the guard immediately gobbled up. When King Akbar heard the guard moaning over a stomach ache and found out what had happened, the guard was fired immediately. The king rewarded Birbal for his kindness and wit by allowing him to become a minister in his palace.
