AKB-BIR14-OxMilk

AKB-BIR14-OxMilk Ox milk 1. Because Akbar liked Birbal, the Durbar members were jealous of him. One among them was the Royal palace physician, Hakim Jalimkhan, who along with others, was planning to get him involved in knotty problem. 2. One day Akbar had a fever. The palace physician was urgently summoned to the palace. As the physician was entering the palace with great haste, Birbal’s opponents blocked the physician’s way. 3. Jalimkhan told them, 'Do not block my way. The emperor is ill. I must see him immediately.' The jealous mongers said, 'Since you will be attending on the emperor, we came here in haste. You have now the best opportunity to trip up Birbal.'' 4. Jalimkhan seized the opportunity and said, ''Ï will do anything to dump Birbal in the bottomless pit. Tell me what to do.'' An elderly man whispered in the ear of Jalimkhan, who immediately jumped in excitement and complicity. Expressing his thanks to the man, he went to administer treatment to the emperor. Akbar was groaning on his bed covered in a blanket. 5. Jalimkhan examined Akbar with great attention. It was apparent that it was a run of the mill ailment. After an extended examination, he pretended with an anxious face and spoke to Akbar, 'Dear Prabhu! What you have is a toxic fever. I have the medicine for it. It had to be mixed with ox milk and taken internally, which will bring a rapid cure. That is why I feel anxious.' 6. Akbar asked him in a surprised tone, 'Ox milk?' Jalimkhan said, 'There are oxes, which yield milk. But it is difficult to find them.' Akbar anxiously asked him who could find such an ox, Jalimkhan said, 'Prabhu! Birbal is very clever. Nothing is impossible for him.' 7. Akbar with a hint of doubt asked, 'How could Birbal find a milk-yielding ox?' The physician gave him the medicine to Akbar which should be mixed with ox milk and taken four times a day. You will recover soon. Leaving the medicine, the physician left. 8. Birbal was summoned to appear before Akbar. Birbal enquired, 'Prabhu! How do you feel?' Akbar answered, 'You see me now. I suffer from a high fever. The physician gave me the medication. I hear it should be mixed with ox milk and taken.' Birbal was surprised to hear of the ox milk and asked Akbar, 'Which idiot told you that ox can yield milk?' 9. Akbar with great emphasis told Birbal, ' Why? Doctor Jalimkhan told me. He was certain that only you is capable of bringing the ox milk.' Birbal asked Akbar, 'That is what Jalimkhan told you.'' Akbar said, 'Yes.' 10. It was immediately apparent to Birbal that Jalimkhan conspired to subject Birbal to shame. As he was heading home, he pondered about this only. Soon he got an idea. Birbal, as he entered his house, told his intelligent daughter about what happened in the palace. He offered the plan he had on his mind. 11. Birbal’s daughter said, Father, I will certainly do it. She asked her father whether Jalimkhan was jealous of him. Birbal said, 'Besides Jalimkhan, others are also jealous. You do what I said.'' 12. Midnight came. The daughter took her maid with her to the riverside adjoining the bedroom of Akbar. She began cleaning her clothes loudly and spoke with the maid boisterously with laughter and dried the clothes on the steps leading to the palace. Akbar heard the beating of the clothes, and the laughter of the two women, which awoke him and kept him awake. 13. Akbar, angry and upset by the noise, sent a palace worker to the riverside steps. He saw a young girl laughing and speaking loudly with her maid. The palace worker got angry. He also saw the young women beating the clothes loudly. 14. He approached and scolded her pointing his spear to her and angrily questioned, 'Will anyone clean the clothes in the middle of the night?' The young girl retorted, 'Why? Does the river not have water in the night? Will water be available only on the day? Why can’t I clean my clothes? The palace worker angrily denounced her and said, ’Don’t you have any brains? The place is right over there. Because of your noise, the emperor’s sleep was interrupted. You are better off leaving immediately.' 15. She said, 'Who will clean the clothes? Will you do it? The palace worker yelled at her, 'You are a big mouth!' Laughing, she said, ''Ï am a girl.'' He asked her, 'Whose daughter are you, the arrogant girl? She answered, 'I am the daughter of my father.' Hearing that, the worker lost his patience. 16. He was angrier to hear her being insubordinate and said, ' I am dragging you before the emperor. If you speak like this, the emperor will ship you.' The palace guard took her to Akbar. She never showed any fear in her face before the emperor. She stood there before Akbar with a smile on her face. The palace guard told Akbar about her cleaning the clothes in the river in the middle of the night. Akbar asked her, “My dear girl! Do you have time only in the night to clean the clothes. She said, 'Yes Prabhu! I did not have time in the day to clean the clothes. This evening, my father developed labor pains and delivered a baby. Having done all the needful for the two, I brought the clothes for cleaning now.' 17. Akbar in a fit of anger scolded the girl, 'Stop blabbering!' She said, ' I am not blabbering. I am telling the truth. This evening, my father delivered a baby. Akbar’s anger got worse, and he said, ’No more babble. Your mother had a baby. Say it right.' She repeated the same answer again and again, 'No Prabhu, my father delivered the baby.' Akbar’s anger exploded like a volcano and said, ’Are you insane! How could a father deliver a baby?' 18. The girl: 'Prabhu! What is here to get angry about? If an ox can yield milk, could not a man deliver a baby? That statement shocked Akbar. Immediately, he understood. His anger subsided. Akbar asked her, ''Gir, are you the daughter of Birbal?'' She said, ''Yes.'' 19. ''Who else except Birbal would have thoughts like this? Tell your father not to search for ox milk. Tell him you gave it.'' Akbar gave a bag of gold coins as a prize. She saluted him and left the palace. 20. After she left, she thought in himself. ''This Jalimkhan, desiring to tie up Birbal in knots, asked him to bring ox milk, thus making him (Akbar) an idiot. Before a girl, my nose got broken.' Akbar got angry with Jalimkhan. Next day, Jalimkhan heard never-before-heard scalding and scolding words from Akbar.