Birbal Stories: Birbal Betrays Himself

Let us enjoy reading this one of Birbal Stories of Birbal Betrays Himself.

 

Birbal was missing. He and the emperor had a quarrel and Birbal had stormed out of the palace vowing¹ never to return. 

 

Now Akbar missed him and wanted him back but no one knew where he was.

 

Then the emperor had a brainwave. He offered a reward of 1000 gold coins to any man who could come to the palace observing the following condition. The man had to walk in the sun without an umbrella but he had to be in the shade at the same time.

 

"Impossible," said the people.

 

Then a villager came carrying a string cot over his head and claimed the prize.

 

"I've walked in the sun but at the same time I was in the shade of the strings² of the cot," he said. 

 

It was a brilliant solution. On interrogation the villager confessed that the idea had been suggested to him by a man living with him.

 

"It could only be Birbal!" said the emperor, delighted. 

 

Sure enough it was Birbal and he and the emperor had a joyous³ reunion. 

1 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

2 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

3 joyous   

adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的

参考例句：

• The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
• They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。