Company Matters Story

 One evening as King Akbar and Birbal were enjoying a stroll in the royal garden, Birbal made some witty that King did not like. But Birbal did not notice this. He continued to fun at the King in comments. After a while, King Akbar could not contain his anger any longer.

In a loud outburst, he shouted at Birbal, “Birbal, how dare you say something like this in the King’s honour? I respect your intelligence so I favor you. But there are times, I have noticed that you do cross the limits. Lately, I have seen you have become very rude indeed. Your language crosses the thin line between jokes and indecency.”

Always at his witty self, Birbal solemnly bowed to King Akbar and said, “It is not my fault, Your Majesty. It is the matter of the company that I keep. Your companions do influence your behavior.”

Hearing this, King Akbar burst out laughing. He knew that Birbal spent most part of the day with the King himself. Thus, Birbal got away with wit once again.