A Clever Theft
One day, Akbar and Birbal were deep in conversation. Birbal said, “However careful we may be, there are some workers who deceive us easily.”
A Test of Trust
Akbar asked, “Can someone escape the most watchful eyes? Can you prove it?” Birbal smiled and replied, “Sire, there are goldsmiths who put away a sizable quantity of gold and there are tailors who secretly hold cloth. I shall send you a tailor. Give him an expensive material to make you a dress. Place your guards all around him. Still, he will be able to steal a considerable portion of your cloth.”
“Done,” said Akbar.
A Task for Gulam
Gulam, the royal tailor, was sent for and Akbar said,”Gulam, here is the most expensive silk material. I want you to make a blouse for the Queen. But you must do the cutting here. In fact, you can go home only after you have finished the job.”
Gulam set to work under the gaze of three royal guards. Despite their vigilant oversight, Gulam’s work spanned three days and nights. On the fourth day, Gulam’s young son came in search of him.
A Visit From Gulam’s Son
“Father, you haven’t come home for three days. Mother is worried,” the lad pleaded. Gulam, growing impatient, shouted at his son, who stubbornly refused to leave until Gulam, in frustration, threw his shoe at the young boy. The lad picked up the shoe and ran, causing laughter among the guards, all the while Gulam shouted incantations for them to catch his son.
The Aftermath
Finally, the task was completed and the blouse delivered to the king. Akbar sent it to his queen and rewarded Gulam for his work. One day, however, the Queen noticed a woman sporting an identical blouse made from the same material. On relaying this information to Akbar, an investigation was launched. It was soon revealed that Gulam had indeed made a second blouse from the same cloth.
Gulam Confesses
When confronted by the king, Gulam admitted to creating a second blouse from the cloth but vehemently denied stealing it. Instead, Gulam confessed, “Your guards were so watchful that I couldn’t have stolen anything. However, I did fill my shoe with cloth before throwing it at my son. My wife then used the extra cloth to sew her own blouse.” Akbar was dumbfounded at the tailor’s clever act and had to acknowledge Birbal’s earlier assertion that tailors always managed to steal some cloth.
A Tale to Tell
Later, it was discovered that Gulam hailed from Birbal’s hometown, further confirming Birbal’s claim. ‘Akbar had no choice but to accept the truth of Birbal’s astute observation.