The Unseen Ladder

One evening, while watching the sunset from his palace balcony, Emperor Akbar pondered aloud, “Tell me, Birbal many rise to greatness without riches or titles. How do they climb so high with nothing visible beneath their feet?”

The courtiers offered various answers luck, opportunity, or powerful allies. But Akbar remained unconvinced.

Birbal, with his usual calm smile, said, “Jahanpanah, I will answer your question not with words, but with a story.”

He began:
“Years ago, there was a poor man in the city no gold, no connections, no influence. But he was known for one thing: he never lied, never cheated, and never broke a promise. Slowly, people began to trust him. A merchant made him a clerk. A noble made him a steward. Within years, he became the trusted advisor of the very people who once ignored him.”

Akbar nodded, intrigued. “So what lifted him up?”

Birbal answered, “Integrity. Honesty was his ladder. Though invisible to the eye, it supported every step he took. While wealth can build a tower, only truth can build a foundation that lasts.”

Akbar smiled, understanding the depth of Birbal’s answer. “A ladder no one sees, yet strong enough to raise a man above kings that is true greatness.”

Moral: Integrity is the invisible ladder that lifts people higher than riches ever can.