The Jealous Courtiers

King Akbar was very fond of Birbal. This made a certain courtier very jealous. Now this courtier always wanted to be chief minister, but this was not possible as Birbal filled that position.

One day Akbar praised Birbal in front of the courtier. This made the courtier very angry and he said that the king praised Birbal unjustly and if Birbal could answer three of his questions, he would accept the fact that Birbal was intelligent. Akbar always wanting to test Birbals wit readily agreed.

The three questions were

1. How many stars are there in the sky

2. Where is the centre of the Earth and

3. How many men and how many women are there in the world.

Immediately Akbar asked Birbal the three questions and informed him that if he could not answer them, he would have to resign as chief minister.

To answer the first question, Birbal brought a hairy sheep and said .There are as many stars in the sky as there is hair on the sheep's body. My friend the courtier is welcome to count them if he likes.

To answer the second question, Birbal drew a couple of lines on the floor and bore an iron rod in it and said this is the centre of the Earth, the courtier may measure it himself if he has any doubts.

In answer to the third question, Birbal said Counting the exact number of men and women in the world would be a problem as there are some specimens like our courtier friend here who cannot easily be classified as either. Therefore if all people like him are killed, then and only then can one count the exact number.

THE LOYAL GARDNER

One day Akbar was stumbled on a rock in his garden while taking a stroll. He was not in a good mood already, and then this fall made him very angry.He ordered for the gardener's arrest and execution.

Gardener was very scared and Birbal comes to know about this episode. He met the Gardener in the prison and told him something in his ear.

The next day, at the time of execution, the gardener was asked what his last wish was. He requested for an audience with the Emperor. His wish was granted and he was brought in the Court. When he came near the throne, he loudly cleared the throat and spat at the feet of the Emperor. The Emperor demanded to know why did he do such a thing. Suddenly Birbal stepped forward in the gardener's defense.

He said, "There could be no person more loyal than this unfortunate gardener. Fearing that you ordered him for hanging for a small reason, he went out of his way to give you a genuine reason for ordering him to be hanged."

The Emperor realized his mistake and set him free.

The Musical Genius

Famous musicians once gathered at Akbar's court for a competition.

The one who could capture a bull's interest was to be declared the winner.

One by one, they played the most heavenly music but the bull paid no attention.

Then Birbal took the stage. His music sounded like the droning of mosquitoes and the mooing of cows.

But to everyone's amazement the bull suddenly became alert and began to move in a lively manner.

Akbar declared Birbal the winner.

Spicy Peanut Butter Cookies

These crunchy cookies are bursting with peanut flavors and just a hint of cayenne and
coriander. Some lemon zest adds a refreshing note to these spicy cookies.
Yields: Makes 20-24 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 Egg
• 1 cup Chunky Peanut Butter
• 1 1/4 cups Flour
• 1/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 cup Butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 tbsp Vanilla
• 3/4 tbsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tbsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tbsp Salt
• 1/2 tbsp Ground Coriander
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• 1/2 cup Roasted Unsalted Peanuts, chopped for garnish

Method of preparation:

• 1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and all
• the spices.
• 2. In another, large bowl, cream the butter, granulated and brown sugar, lemon
• zest and salt. Add the vanilla and peanut butter and mix until the mixture has
• become smooth.
• 3. Mix in the egg along with the flour and spice mixture. Mix well until the
• ingredients are well-blended.
• 4. Divide the dough into 1-inch balls. Place the balls in the fridge to firm up.
• 5. Preheat your oven to 350F.
• 6. Place the cookies on greased baking trays. Flatten the cookies a bit, sprinkle
• with some chopped peanuts and press gently to seal the peanuts.
• 7. Bake for about 10 minutes.
• 8. Let the cookies cool before serving.

THE HEIFER (AL-BAQARAH)

2. THE HEIFER (AL-BAQARAH)

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

1 Alif Lam Mim

2 This is the Book; there is no

doubt in it. It is a guide for those

who are mindful of God, 

3 who

believe in the unseen, and are

steadfast in prayer, and spend

out of what We have provided

them with; 

4

those who believe

in the revelation sent down to

you and in what was sent before

you, and firmly believe in the

life to come—

5

they are the

people who are rightly following

their Lord and it is they who

shall be successful.

6 As for those who are bent on

denying the truth, it makes no

difference to them whether you

warn them or not, they will not

believe. 

7 God has sealed their

hearts and their ears, and over

their eyes there is a covering.

They will have a terrible

punishment.

8 There are some who say, ‘We

believe in God and the Last

Day,’ yet they are not believers.

9 They seek to deceive God and

the believers, but they only

deceive themselves, though they

do not realize it.

10 In their hearts is a disease, which God has

increased. They will have a

painful punishment, because they

have been lying.

 THE OPENING (AL-FATIHAH)

1

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

2 All praise is due to God,

the Lord of the Universe.

3 the Beneficent, the Merciful;

4 Lord of the Day of

Judgement.

 5 You alone we

worship, and to You alone we

turn for help. 

6 Guide us to the

straight path: 

7 the path of those

You have blessed; not of

those who have incurred Your

wrath, nor of those who have

gone astray.

The Sadhu

Akbar came to the throne when he was only thirteen years old. In the years that followed, he built on of the greatest empires of his time. He lived in unimaginable splendor. He was surrounded by courtiers who agreed with every word he said, who flattered him and treated him as if he were a god. Perhaps it was not surprising that Emperor Akbar was sometimes arrogant and behaved as if the whole world belonged to him.

One day, Birbal decided to make the great emperor stop and think about life.

That evening as the emperor was going towards his palace, he noticed a Sadhu lying in the centre of his garden. He could not believe his eyes. A strange Sadhu, in ragged clothes, right in the middle of the palace garden? The guards would have to be punished for this, thought the emperor furiously as he walked over to that Sadhu and prodded him with the tip of his embroidered slipper.

"Here, fellow!" he cried. "What are you doing here? Get up and go away at once!"

That Sadhu opened his eyes. Then he sat up slowly. "Huzoor," he said in a sleepy voice. "Is this your garden, then?"

"Yes!" cried the Emperor. "This garden those rose bushes, the fountain beyond that, the courtyard, the palace, this fort, this empire, it all belongs to me!"

Slowly that Sadhu stood up. "And the river, Huzoor? And the city? And this country?"

"Yes, yes, it's all mine", said the emperor. "Now get out!"

"Ah", said the Sadhu. "And before you, Huzoor. Who did the garden and fort and city belong to then?"

"My father, of course", said the emperor. In spite of his irritation, he was beginning to get interested in the Sadhu's questions. He loved philosophical discussions and he could tell, from his manner of speaking, that the Sadhu was a learned man.

"And who was here before him?" the Sadhu asked quietly.

"His father, my father's father, as you know."

"Ah", said the Sadhu. So this garden, those rose bushes, the palace and the fort all this has only belonged to you for your lifetime. Before that they belonged to your father, am I right? And after yours time they will belong to your son, and then to his son?

"Yes", said the Emperor Akbar wonderingly.

"So each one stays here for a time and then goes on his ways?"

"Yes."

"Like a dharmashala?" the Sadhu asked. "No one owns a dharmashala. Or the shade of a tree on the side of a road. We stop and rest for a while and then go on. And someone has always been there before us and someone will always come after we have gone. Is that not so?"

"It is", Emperor Akbar quietly.

"So your garden, your palace, your fort, your empire... these are only places you will stay in for a time, for the span of your lifetime. When you die, they will no longer belong to you. You will go, leaving them in the possession of someone else, just as your father did and his father before him."

Emperor Akbar nodded. "The whole world is a dharmashala", he said slowly, thinking very hard. "In which we mortals rest awhile. That's what you are telling me, isn't it? Nothing on this earth can ever belong to a single person, because each person is only passing through the earth and must die one day?"

The Sadhu nodded solemnly. Then, bowing to the ground, he removed his white beard and saffron turban and his voice changed. "Jahanpanah, forgive me!" he said, in his normal voice. "It was my way of asking you to think about..."

"Birbal, oh, Birbal!" the emperor exclaimed. "You are wiser than any philosopher. Come, come at once to the royal chamber and let us discuss this further. Even emperors are but wayfarers on the path of life, it is clear!"

Banana spiced cinnamon cookies

Banana Spiced cinnamon Biscuits

These banana cookies are permeated with the aromas of cinnamon and ground cloves and packed with sweet raisins.

Yields:

 Makes 36 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 large Eggs
• 1⁄2 cup Raisins
• 2 cups Flour
• 1 cup Mashed Bananas
• 1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
• 1⁄2 cup Shortening
• 1⁄4 tsp Salt
• 1⁄4 tsp Ground Cloves
• 1⁄4 tsp Baking Soda
• 1⁄2 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 tsps Baking Powder

Method of preparation:

• 1. Combine the brown sugar and shortening in a large bowl. Stir in the eggs
• along with the mashed bananas. Mix well until blended.
• 2. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, ground cloves, baking soda,
• cinnamon and baking powder. Add this mixture to the banana mixture in
• another bowl and blend.
• 3. Add the raisins and stir until combined.
• 4. Keep in the fridge until the dough firms up a bit.
• 5. Preheat the oven at 350F.
• 6. Use a teaspoon to form little cookies by dropping the dough onto lightly
• greased baking trays.
• 7. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes.

The Sharpest Shield and Sword

A man who made spears and shields once came to Akbar's court.

"Your Majesty, nobody can make shields and spears to equal mine," he said. "My shields are so strong that nothing can pierce them and my spears are so sharp that there's nothing they cannot pierce."

"I can prove you wrong on one count certainly," said Birbal suddenly.

"Impossible!" declared the man.

"Hold up one of your shields and I will pierce it with one of your spears," said Birbal with a smile.

The True King

The King of Iran had heard that Birbal was one of the wisest men in the East and desirous of meeting him sent him an invitation to visit his country.

In due course, Birbal arrived in Iran. When he entered the palace he was flabbergasted to find not one but six kings seated there. All looked alike. All were dressed in kingly robes. Who was the real king?

The very next moment he got his answer. Confidently, he approached the king and bowed to him.

"But how did you identify me?" the king asked, puzzled.

Birbal smiled and explained: "The false kings were all looking at you, while you yourself looked straight ahead. Even in regal robes, the common people will always look to their king for support."

Overjoyed, the king embraced Birbal and showered him with gifts.

The well dispute

The well dispute

Once there was a complaint at King Akbar's court. There were two neighbours who shared their garden. In that garden, there was a well that was possessed by Iqbal khan. His neighbour, who was a farmer wanted to buy the well for irrigation purpose. Therefore they signed an agreement between them, after which the farmer owned the well. Even after selling the well to the farmer, Iqbal continued to fetch water from the well. Angered by this, the farmer had come to get justice from King Akbar. King Akbar asked Iqbal the reason for fetching water from the well even after selling it to the farmer. 

Iqbal replied that he had sold only the well to the farmer but not the water inside it. King Akbar wanted Raja Birbal who was present in the court listening to the problem to solve the dispute. Birbal came forward and gave a solution. He said " Iqbal, You say that you have sold only the well to the farmer. And you claim that the water is yours. Then how come you can keep your water inside another person's well without paying rent?" Iqbal's trickery was countered thus in a tricky way. The farmer got justice and Birbal was fairly rewarded.

A Merchant and his Donkey:

One beautiful spring morning, a merchant loaded his donkey with bags of salt to go to the market, in order to sell the salt. The merchant and his donkey were walking along together. They had not walked far when they reached a river on the way.

Unfortunately, the donkey slipped and fell into the river. As it scrambled up the bank of the river, it noticed that the bags of salt loaded on his back had become lighter.

There was nothing the merchant could do except return home, where he loaded his donkey with more bags of salt. As they reached the slippery riverbank again, the donkey fell into the river, this time deliberately. Thus the salt was wasted again.

By now the merchant knew the donkey's trick. He wanted to teach the animal a lesson. As he returned home the second time with the donkey, the merchant loaded bags of sponges on its back.

The duo set out on their trip to the market a third time. On reaching the river, the donkey very cleverly fell into the water again. But now, instead of the load becoming lighter, it became heavier.

The merchant laughed at the donkey and said, "You foolish donkey, your trick has been discovered. You should know that you cannot fool anyone too many times."

How Akbar meet Birbal?

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 his 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 Hindustaan (India). We need fearless 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.