The Stolen Hour

One day in court, Emperor Akbar spoke of helping the needy and asked his ministers what they did for the poor in their spare time.

One wealthy courtier stood and said proudly, “Jahanpanah, I would help, but I simply have no time. My days are full meetings, trade, duties… There’s no hour left for charity.”

The other courtiers nodded politely, as if to excuse him.

But Birbal, standing nearby, quietly walked over to a shelf and took down a beautiful hourglass. He placed it before the courtier and turned it upside down. Fine grains of sand began to fall steadily from the top chamber to the bottom.

He looked the courtier in the eye and said, “Here is your time slipping away, one grain at a time. Every moment unused is not just lost… it is stolen from those who could’ve benefited from your care.”

The courtier lowered his gaze.

Birbal continued, “We all have the same hours in a day. The difference lies in how we choose to spend them. You do not need more time, only more intention.”

Akbar, impressed by the powerful lesson, said, “Well spoken, Birbal. Time is our greatest wealth and once spent, it never returns.”

Moral: Time is life’s richest gift spend it where it matters most.