The Deceitful Qazi: A Story of Justice and Wisdom
Once upon a time, in the Mughal court, Emperor Akbar was engaged in a discussion with his courtiers. At that moment, a farmer arrived, seeking justice. "Your Majesty," he pleaded, "grant me justice." Emperor Akbar asked, "What is the matter?" The farmer responded, "Your Majesty, I am a poor farmer. My wife recently passed away, leaving me alone. I am disheartened and unable to work. I went to Qazi Sahib one day. He advised me to visit a shrine far from here for peace of mind. Intrigued, I agreed to travel. However, I was worried about the gold coins I had diligently saved over the years, which I had brought with me. When I spoke to Qazi Sahib about this, he assured me he would safeguard them and return them upon my return. I placed the coins in a bag and gave it to him, asking him to seal the bag as a precaution."
Emperor Akbar inquired, "And what happened next?" The farmer replied, "Your Majesty, I sealed the bag and left for the shrine. After a few days, I returned and Qazi Sahib handed me the bag. Upon reaching home, I opened it to find stones instead of gold coins. I questioned Qazi Sahib about this. He angrily accused me of theft, called his servants, and had me chased away." The farmer wept, "Your Majesty, these gold coins were all I had. Grant me justice." Hearing the farmer's plea, Emperor Akbar asked Birbal to investigate the matter.
Birbal took the bag from the farmer, examined it, and requested a short time from the Emperor. The Emperor granted him two days. Returning home, Birbal instructed his servant, "Mend this torn kurta very carefully." The servant took the kurta, repaired it diligently, and returned. Birbal was pleased to see the seemingly perfect repair. He summoned the tailor who had mended the kurta.
The next day, Birbal appeared in court and ordered the guards to bring the Qazi and the farmer before the Emperor. Shortly afterward, the guards escorted them. Birbal then instructed the guards to bring the tailor. Upon hearing this, the Qazi's composure wavered. As the tailor arrived, Birbal asked him, "Had the Qazi given you any gold coins to mend?" The tailor confessed, "A few months ago, I stitched a bag of coins for him." Further pressed by Birbal, the Qazi, fearing exposure, confessed everything. "Your Majesty," he said, "I became greedy seeing so much gold. Please forgive me." Emperor Akbar ordered the Qazi to return the gold coins to the farmer and sentenced the Qazi to a year's imprisonment. Once again, everyone praised Birbal's intelligence.
The Moral of the Story: Never be greedy, and never deceive anyone. Wrongdoing will always be punished eventually.
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