The royal court of Akbar was silent.
An innocent-looking man stood trembling before the throne.
He had been accused of stealing gold from a wealthy merchant.
Witnesses spoke loudly.
The merchant looked confident.
The evidence seemed strong.
The accused man tried to speak,
but fear held his tongue.
Akbar looked displeased.
“The proof is clear,” Akbar said.
“This man is guilty.”
A murmur spread through the court.
At the side stood Birbal, listening carefully.
Birbal stepped forward and bowed.
“Your Majesty,” he said calmly,
“may I ask the accused one question?”
Akbar nodded.
Birbal turned to the man.
“Tell me,” Birbal asked gently,
“when the theft happened,
what was the first thing you did?”
The man replied softly,
“I ran home to my family.”
Birbal then turned to the merchant.
“And you?” Birbal asked.
“What did you do first?”
The merchant replied quickly,
“I raised an alarm.”
Birbal smiled slightly.
He then asked the guards to bring the stolen gold.
Birbal looked at the merchant and said,
“Touch the gold.”
The merchant did so confidently.
Then Birbal turned to the accused man.
“Now you touch it.”
The man hesitated,
then placed his hand on the gold.
Birbal watched closely.
The accused man’s hands shook with fear.
The merchant’s hands were steady.
Birbal looked at Akbar and said,
“Your Majesty,
an innocent man fears punishment,
but a guilty man fears being caught.”
The court gasped.
Birbal continued,
“The accused feared the accusation.
The merchant feared nothing.”
Akbar looked again at the merchant.
Under further questioning,
the merchant’s story changed.
The truth came out.
The merchant had hidden his own gold
and blamed the poor man.
Akbar stood up.
“The innocent is free,” he declared.
“And the real criminal will be punished.”
The accused man fell at Birbal’s feet in gratitude.
Akbar turned to Birbal and said,
“Your one answer saved a life today.”
Birbal bowed.
“Justice,” he replied,
“is found not in noise,
but in understanding.”
🌟 MORAL OF THE STORY
True justice requires wisdom, not haste.
Listening carefully can save the innocent.
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