Akbar
loved hunting and used to escape to go for hunting even from his studies.
Well, later he became a better rider and hunter than any one of his courtiers.
One day when Akbar went for hunting, he and
some of the courtiers went so fast that they left the others behind. As
the evening fell, everybody got very hungry and thirsty, they found that they
had lost their way and now did not know where to go.
At
last they came to a junction of three roads. King was very happy to see the
roads that now he could go reach his capital through one of these roads, but
which road was to go to his capital - Agra. They were all thinking about it and
could not decide it. In the mean time they saw a young boy coming along one
road. The boy was summoned and Akbar asked him, "Hey young boy! Which road
goes to Agra?" The boy smiled and spoke, "Huzoor! everybody knows
that road cannot move so how these roads can go to Agra or anywhere else?"
and laughed at his own joke.
Everybody
was silent, didn't say a word. The boy said again, "People travel, not the
roads. Do they?" Emperor laughed at this and said, "No, you are
right." The Emperor asked again, "What is your name, young
boy?" "Mahesh Das" The boy replied and asked the Emperor,
"And who are you Huzoor? What is your name?" The Emperor took out his
Ring and gave it to the boy. "You are talking to Emperor Akbar - the King
of Hindustan (India). We need feerless people like you. You come to the court,
with this Ring I will recognize you immediately. Now tell me the way to get to
Agra. We have to reach there soon?"
Mahesh
Das bowing lowly pointed towards the road going to Agra, and the King headed on
that road.
That
is how the Emperor Akbar met the future Birbal.
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