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Pulling The Ring Out

It was hot and arid; the summer season was at its worst. Emperor Akbar was out on stroll with his courtiers. Dreading the heat and its effects, Emperor Akbar said, "It is hot, even at this hour". He worried about the wells and ponds that were drying up at an alarming rate. Leaning over the wall of a well, he saw that the bottom was bone dry. The Emperor sighed. 'It'll remain so till the rains come, Shahenshah (emperor)! This is the best time to drop something into the well and watch it hit the bottom. At other times, the object hits the water and gets lost in the depths of the waters." said Birbal. He picked up a stone and dropped it into the well. The stone hit the bottom with a mild thud. 'One stone deserves another," said the emperor. He then removed his gold ring which was set with a huge diamond and dropped it into the well. Birbal was taken aback. "One stone deserves another, Badshah (emperor)! That's fair enough. But a plain stone doesn't deserve a precious stone," Birbal pointed out. Instantly, Emperor Akbar realised his mistake. But the emperor was in a mood for mischief. 'Birbal, I can always ask our men to get into the well and recover the ring. But can anyone pull out the ring without getting into the well?" he asked. All the courtiers, save Birbal, declared the feat to be impossible to achieve. Akbar turned to Birbal and asked, "Do you give up too?" Birbal thought for some time and said, " Jahanpanah , I can, but I will need time to do that. If all goes well, I should get the ring out by dusk. Till then, Shahenshah, my plan must remain a secret." "No dirty tricks, Birbal! said one of the courtiers who was jealous of Birbal's wit. "I won't dare do that, Alampana! I love life, said Birbal with a smile. " Shahenshah , I suggest you post a sentry to keep a watch on what Birbal does," the courtier appealed to the emperor. The emperor agreed and ordered two guards to keep a watch over the well. I shall start working right away, Shahenshah . By evening youll have the ring, if all goes well! said Birbal. The emperor wished Birbal luck and walked off with the courtiers. Birbal watched till the group vanished from sight. Then, he swung into action. He noticed a small hut at some distance. He hurried to the hut and called out, Is anybody in? An old woman came out. Politely, Birbal asked her if he could buy a little cow dung from the pile that was lying in the corner. The old woman refused to take any payment but asked Birbal to help himself to the dung. Birbal rolled the dung carefully. Then, he walked back to the well with the cake of dung and let it drop into the well right above the ring. The dung hit the mark. He then turned and looked all around. His eyes fell on a medium-sized stone. He tied a string to the stone and holding one end of the string, he aimed the stone at the ball of dung and dropped it. The stone landed on its target. Birbal's face lit up with a sense of fulfillment. He tied the end of the string in his hand to a bush next to the well. Stay here. I shall come back before dusk, Birbal told the guards. He walked off, happy at the thought that the heat would help him execute his plan. An hour before dusk, Birbal set out from his house to the well. He untied the string tied to the bush and held it firmly. Then he walked up to the wall of the well and pulled the string towards him. The stone to which the other end of the string was tied moved up. Sticking to it now was the dried ball of dung. He pulled slowly and gently till the dried ball of dung was safely in his hands. He quickly crushed the dried dung. Down fell the ring! Birbal headed for the palace in triumph. The durbar was full. Shahenshah! Birbal bowed. Did you get the ring? the Emperor asked. Here it is, Alampana , said Birbal, giving the ring to the pleased Emperor. He narrated the details of his plan to the curious emperor who was so impressed with Birbal's intelligence that he gave him a hundred gold mohars (coins)! Shahenshah! In all this world, there's no ruler more kind and generous than you! said Birbal humbly. The emperor smiled gently, And in all this world, there's no ruler who has a better courtier than you, Birbal!
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