The Sound of Gold

One afternoon in the palace, a poor, hungry man stood near the royal kitchen. Though he had no money, he found comfort in the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen. He closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of richly spiced food, imagining a meal he could not afford.

The royal chef, noticing him nearby, grew angry. “You’ve been stealing the smell of my food!” he shouted. “If you enjoy it, you must pay for it!”

The man pleaded, “I didn’t touch anything, sir. I was only breathing in the smell…”

But the chef dragged him to the court, demanding justice. Emperor Akbar, intrigued by the strange complaint, listened patiently.

“My food was enjoyed without permission,” the chef insisted. “He must pay!”

Akbar turned to Birbal. “How should we resolve this?”

Birbal smiled and pulled a single gold coin from his pocket. He walked over to the chef and jingled the coin loudly beside his ear.

The chef looked confused. “What are you doing?”

Birbal calmly replied, “You claimed he enjoyed the smell of your food. Now you’ve enjoyed the sound of this coin. Justice is served payment in sound for benefit in smell.”

The court erupted in laughter, and even Akbar chuckled. “Once again, Birbal, your wisdom restores balance.”

The chef realized the fairness of the judgment and withdrew his complaint. The poor man was released, grateful for Birbal’s cleverness.

Moral: Justice must be fair and proportional  it should match the nature of the claim.