The royal court of Akbar was unusually tense.
Two men stood before the throne,
arguing loudly.
One accused the other of theft.
The other tried to speak,
but his voice was drowned out.
Akbar frowned.
“I have heard enough,” he said.
“The case is clear.”
The accused man tried to speak again.
“Your Majesty—”
Akbar raised his hand.
“I will not waste time,” he declared.
“Judgment is passed.”
A murmur spread through the court.
At the side stood Birbal, silent but observant.
As the guards stepped forward,
Birbal bowed and spoke gently,
“Your Majesty,
may I ask for one moment?”
Akbar nodded, impatiently.
Birbal turned to the crowd.
“Bring me a drum,” he said.
The court looked confused,
but a drum was brought.
Birbal struck it once—
loud and sharp.
“Did you hear that?” he asked.
“Yes,” everyone replied.
Birbal struck it again,
but this time he covered one ear.
“Now, did you hear it clearly?”
“No,” the court answered.
Birbal smiled and turned to Akbar.
“When we listen with half our attention,”
he said,
“we hear sound,
but we miss truth.”
The court fell silent.
Birbal continued,
“Justice requires full listening.
Not speed.”
Akbar looked at the accused man again.
“This time,” he said,
“speak.”
The man explained calmly.
He showed witnesses.
He revealed facts.
The truth became clear.
The accusation was false.
Akbar’s expression changed.
He dismissed the case
and turned to Birbal.
“Today,” Akbar admitted,
“I judged without listening.”
Birbal bowed.
“Great rulers,” he said,
“are not those who decide fastest,
but those who listen longest.”
That day,
the court learned a powerful lesson—
Listening is the first step to justice.
🌟 MORAL OF THE STORY
Judgment without listening
often leads to injustice.
True wisdom begins with patience.
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