The Donkey’s Shadow

One hot afternoon, a traveler rented a donkey from a merchant to carry his belongings across the desert. After some time, they stopped to rest. The sun was blazing, and the only shade to be found was from the donkey itself.

The traveler sat in the donkey’s shadow to cool off. But the merchant objected, saying, “You paid only to ride the donkey not to use its shadow!”

The traveler was shocked. “The shadow is part of the donkey!”

An argument broke out, and soon the matter reached Emperor Akbar’s court.

Akbar, amused by the odd case, turned to Birbal for a judgment.

Birbal listened carefully, then said, “Let me understand. You rented out your donkey, correct?”

“Yes,” replied the merchant.

“But you never mentioned charging separately for the shadow?”

“No… but” the merchant began.

Birbal raised a hand. “Then you cannot claim rent for what you never owned separately. You own the donkey not the sunlight, nor the shadow it casts. If your greed grows more than your generosity, you’ll one day charge for the air it breathes.”

The court burst into laughter. The merchant, embarrassed, accepted the ruling.

Akbar smiled. “Once again, Birbal, your wisdom casts the longest shadow.”

Moral: Greed knows no bounds but fairness draws the line.