The Magic Sticks

Birbal was a clever minister in Emperor Akbar’s court.

One day, when Birbal had gone to the market, he met a rich man who seemed distressed. 

He said to Birbal, “Your excellency, you are very wise. Please help me. The gold ornaments in my house have been stolen and I suspect that the thief is one of my servants.”

Birbal agreed to help him.

When they reached the rich man’s house, Birbal summoned all the servants.

He gave a wooden stick to each servant and said, “These are magic sticks. If they fall into the hands of a thief, they grow by an inch. We will meet tomorrow and see.”

The servant who had stolen the gold ornaments could not sleep that night. 

He thought, “If I cut this wooden stick by one inch, it will grow by one inch and nobody will know that I am the thief.” So he cut his stick by one inch.

The next day, all the servants gathered in the rich man’s house. Birbal checked all the sticks and found that one stick was one inch smaller.

He said to the rich man, “Here is your thief. These were not magic sticks but simple wooden sticks. This servant cut his stick by one inch for fear that it might grow one inch and give him away. But he still got caught.”

Art: Irene D'Cruz, 75, India

(Retold)