Birbal and the Lost Ring

One day, Emperor Akbar discovered that his precious ring was missing. Distressed, he turned to Birbal for help in finding the thief among the courtiers.

Birbal calmly gathered everyone in the court. After observing them for a moment, he announced, “The thief is clever, but I know how to reveal him. The guilty one will have a straw hidden in his beard.”

At once, one of the courtiers nervously raised his hand to his beard, checking for the imaginary straw. Birbal’s sharp eyes caught the gesture, and he immediately pointed to the man. Startled and unable to hide any longer, the courtier confessed to stealing the ring.

Through his clever understanding of human behavior, Birbal had once again solved the mystery with ease.

Moral: A guilty conscience often reveals the truth without words.

Summary: When Akbar’s ring went missing, Birbal announced that the thief would have a straw in his beard. One courtier instinctively touched his beard, exposing his guilt. Birbal’s wit and psychology solved the case.