The Loudest Voice

One quiet afternoon, Emperor Akbar gathered his court and posed a thoughtful question, “Tell me, what is the loudest sound in the world?”

The ministers eagerly offered their answers.

“Thunder during a storm!” one said confidently.
“The roar of a battlefield cannon!” said another.
“Drums in a grand procession!” added a third.

Each tried to outdo the other with their descriptions of force and volume.

Then Birbal, who had been listening silently, stood up and said gently, “The loudest sound in the world is the cry of a hungry child.”

The room fell into stillness. The noise of comparison faded, replaced by reflection.

Birbal continued, “Thunder may shake mountains, cannons may echo across valleys but the cry of a hungry child pierces the soul. It cannot be ignored. It calls not to the ears, but to the heart.”

Akbar looked down thoughtfully, and after a moment, nodded. “You are right, Birbal. No sound is more powerful than suffering because it demands not just attention, but action.”

Moral: The deepest power lies not in noise, but in the emotions that move us to care.