"Once the mighty emperor Akbar went to a forest on hunting and there he saw a few women cutting trees for fire-wood. He said to himself, "how are these women able to do such tedious jobs!" On his way back home he kept wondering how the women are able to perform such jobs and saying the same, he laughed at his Queen who never watered a plant. The Queen felt embarrassed and called for Birbal and asked him to teach a lesson to the King in this matter. Birbal called the gardener of the Royal garden and asked him not to water the plants in the royal garden. A few days later, the king observes that the plants of the royal garden lost their lustrous green glow and sent for the gardener, who said that it was Birbal's oreder not to water the plants. Stunned, Akbar asked Birbal for explanation. Birbal then said, "Huzur, I observed that the trees in the forest are never watered, but they grow well. So I thought that our plants need not be watered regularly". Akbar understood that Birbal meant to differentiate between the forest women and the ladies of the court and nodded silently. "
Since childhood I am a die-hard fan of short stories. Chandamama, Balamitra, Bommarillu, Bujjayi--- the list of my favourite story books is endless.. Thanks to the todays newspapers for a short story each day. My favourite stories are those of SriKrishna Devaraya -Tenali Ramakrishna and Akbar-Birbal, the most powerful kings and their favourite courtiers who advised their kings on various matters. Spontanity, quick-wittedness, presence of mind of Rama Krishna and Birbal in those stories entertain as well as enlighten the minds!!
When I read the above story in a newspaper, I am stunned.
What does this story convey? That the mighty emperor Akbar is not capable of understanding such a small thing?! I observe the same in the stories of Devaraya and Ramakrishna being published in the papers these days.
In order to sketch Ramakrishna and Birbal as quick-witted persons, todays stories are presenting their kings as absent minded and witless persons.
A student of History can tell how powerful and important those kings were.
I wish the print media publishes more interesting and enlightening stories for children.
No comments:
Post a Comment