The money bag , the Teli and the Butcher
Akbar and Birbal Series
The court was set up for Akbar, who watched over the kingdom. A concierge then informed two people who wanted to come to settle a dispute.
The king summoned both of them who had a dispute. They entered the court and stood before the emperor.
The emperor asked the two men who came to settle the dispute, “Tell me what your problems are?
The first one told that his name is Kashi and that he is a Teli by profession and thus he does the business of selling oil and said that the other man is a butcher by profession.
He said that the butcher came to his store, bought oil but also stole his bag. When he asked for his bag back, the butcher started telling him that the bag belonged to him.
The Emperor assured that there would be justice. Then the emperor asked the butcher.” Do you have anything to say?” The butcher said that his name is Ramadan, and he’s a butcher by profession. He then said that whatever money is in the disputed bag is the money from his sale, so the money actually belongs to him. This bag of money the Teli was trying to snatch from his shop so he pleaded with the emperor to help him by giving him the money bag.
The emperor could not understand in whose favor to pass the judgment, so he asked Birbal to think on behalf of him.
Birbal took the bag of money and sent both of them out for a while. Then Birbal ordered a bowl full of water and took out two coins from the disputed bag. He then poured it into the water and began observing the water carefully
Then he said to the emperor, “Huzoor, the oil is not even moving a small fraction in the water when you pour coins in it. If these coins were of the Teli, they would have had some oil smeared on the coins, and that oil would have been seen in the water as well.”
The emperor himself put some more coins in the water, then observed and agreed with Birbal.
Birbal then called both the men and said, ” I know the real owner of the bag. You are lying Kashi, the true owner of the bag is actually Ramadan, the butcher.
But Kashi insisted that the bag belonged to him.
Birbal laid the bowl of water on the ground and said, “These coins could have belonged to you, but notice that there is no oil on them and it can be seen clearly.”
Now Kashi was dumbfounded. He was ashamed of his mistake and accepted his crime.
Birbal then gave the bag to Ramadan and put Kashi in jail. The Emperor was happy for the wise judgment that Birbal gave and praised him very much.
