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Speaking without thinking can treble your troubles as this ancient story demonstrates.

A man was caught stealing a bag of onions and taken before a judge.

The judge gave him a choice of three punishments: eat the onions he had stolen at one sitting; submit to a hundred lashes of the whip or pay a fine.

The man said he would eat the onions.He began confidently enough but after eating a few, his eyes began to burn, his nose started running and his mouth felt as if it wee on fire.

” I can’t eat the onions,” he said. ” give me the lashes instead.”

But after he had received a few strokes he began to turn and twist to avoid the whip.

” I can’t bear it !” he screamed, finally. ” I’ll pay the fine.”

So he paid the fine and was let off, but he became the laughing stock of the city for haven taken three punishments for the same crime.

A man eating in a restaurant called the waiter and complained that he had been given only one loaf with his meat dish.

” I like lots of bread,” said the man.” Remember that next time.”

The next time he came the waiter served him three loaves. ” This better than the last time,” said the man. ” But I would have liked more bread”.

The next time he came the waiter served him five loaves but still the man seemed unhappy. Later the waiter told the cook about the man. the cook said he would see to it that the man was fully satisfied the next time he came.

Two days later the man came again. The waiter alerted the cook who alerted the bakery with whom he had placed the order for a loaf 2 ft wide , 3 ft thick and 6 ft long. The bakery delivered the loaf to the restaurant, and the cook and the waiter triumphantly carried the loaf to the customer. the customer stared at the loaf in disbelief.

” This is the last time I’m coming here !” he announced getting up angrily from the chair and throwing his napkin on the table. ” I keep telling you I want more bread and here you are once again serving me just one loaf!”

Gilroy was once taken to court by a man who claimed that he owned the land on which Gilroy’s house stood.

Gilroy had the documents to prove that he owned the land but he knew that the judge who was to try the case was corrupt and could be bought. gilroy decided to take a gift for the judge.

At the hearing, the compalinant stated his case and then taking out a fat wallet from one pocket transferred it to another in a slow and deliberate manner. The judge understood. He looked at Gilroy as if to ask him if he could match the offer.

In answer, gilroy patted his own pocket. the judge was pleased to see that it was bulging. He could make out the outlines of two large objects in it and he felt sure they were gold ornaments.

He gave a verdict in Gilroy’s favour and called him to his chambers. Gilroy went round to the judge’s chambers and began to thank him for deciding the case in his favour. But the judge cut him short with an impatient gesture of his hand.

” The gift, ” he snapped. ” Give me whatever you have brought for me!”

Gilroy took out two large stones from his pocket and gave them to him.

In the last century, there lived a sultan who waged war tirelessly and finally made himself master of a largish desert.

” Surely I’m the greatest monarch in the world,” he said to his minister, one day. ” What do the people say about me?”

” They’re all praise for you, Your Excellency,” said the minister,” all except one man, Ali a camel-driver by profession. He’s always running you down.”

“How dare he !” roared the Sultan. ” Bring him here at once. I’ll cut out his tongue!”

When Ali wa brought to the palace, he threw himself at the sultan’s feet.

” At last my dearest wish to see you has come true,” he said , obsequiously. ” I used to say nasty things about you so that I might be bought into your august presence.”

” Why? ” boomed the sultan.

” So that I might recite the poem I have written in your honour, O Merciful One.”

” Recite!”

Ali began to recite a poem his grandfather had taught him in his childhood. It proclaimed the greatness of Alexander, the Great but Ali deftly substituted the Sultan’s name for Alexander’s whenever the need arose.

The Sultan was flattered.

” Good poem,” he said, when Ali finished. ” Describes me exactly. You deserve a reward. Choose from one of these magnificent saddles,” and he indicated a pile of saddles, lying nearby.

Ali chose a donkey’s saddle, and thanking the Sultan, bowed himself out of the palace.

The people from his village who were sure he would be executed, and were waiting for news about it, outside the gate, were astounded to see him.

” The Sultan let you go?” they asked, bemused.

” And why not? ” he asked. ” I recited a poem in his honour and he rewarded me with one of his best robes.”

” The Sultan gave you hi robe!” They gasped. ” Where is it?”.

He showed them the donkey’s saddle.

There was a sickly girl who always seemed to be at death’s door. Her neighbour ws a widow., bent with age. Whenever she caught sight of the girl she would shake her head sadly and say: ” Oh God, who do you torment that poor child… if you want ta life take this old woman!”

One evening a bull in the village, put its head into a large black pot to get at some grain at the bottom, and then couldn’t get its head out. Frightened and confused, it ran hither and thither, unable to see where it was going because its eyes were covered by the pot.

Meanwhile, the old woman we mentioned, was visiting her neighbour. She came out and as usual began shaking her head and saying if God wanted a life he should take hers. Suddenly she became aware that s powerfully-buit beast, apparently headless, was rushing at her.

” Yama has come for me !” she thought and was filled with terror.

” Mercy, my lord, Mercy ! : she screeched, falling to her knows in front of the advancing bull. ” Spare me, There’s a sickly girl next door. Take her insted !”

An idol-maker had to deliver an idol to a customer. He placed it on his donkey’s back and they started on their journey.

Now the idol-maker was extremely skilled at his job and this particular idol was one of the best he had ever made. Whoever saw it, stopped to bow down and pray.

The donkey thought they were bowing to him.

He was enormously pleased and flattered and not wishing to go away froma place where he was held in such high esteem, came to an abrupt stop.

Nothing his master did would induce him to start walking again, and finally his master lifted the idol on to own head and resumed his journey.

The donkey stood where he was, head held high and braying sonorously until he suddenly became aware that there was no one watching him. the people were now following his master and bowing to the idol.

The donkey realised that his pride had clouded his judgement and feeling ashamed of himself, ran to rejoin his master.

Once King Akbar questioned Raja Birbal if he knows the number of blind citizens of their kingdom. Raja Birbal had requested Akbar to give him a week’s time. the next day Raja Birbal was found to be mending his shoes in the town market. People were astonished to see Birbal doing such work. Many of them started to question ” Birbal !! What are you doing?” Once when he was asked the question by someone he started writing something. It continued for a week when on the 7th day King Akbar himseld asked Birbal the same question. Giving him no answer, Birbal reported at the court the next day and handed over a note to King Akbar. Akbar read the note when he found that it was the big list of people who were blind. Emperor Akbar was stunned when he found his name in the list. Angered by this, Akbar asked Birbal the reason for writing his name in the list. Birbal sai8d ” O ! My majesty! Like all other people you also saw me mending the slippers but you still asked me what I was doing. therefore I had to include your name too.”Akbar started laughing at this and everyone enjoyed Birbal’s sense of humour.

One day emperor Akbar was inspecting the law and order situation in the kingdom.One of his ministers, who was jealous of Raja Birbal, complained that the Emperor gave importance only to Birbal’s suggestions and all the other ministers were ignored. Akbar wanted the minister to know how wise Birbal was.

There was a marriage procession going on. The Emperor ordered the minister to enquire whose marriage it was. The minister found out and walked towards the Emperor wearing a proud expression on his face. then the king called Birbal and asked him too to enquire whose marriage was going on. whe Birbal returned. akbar asked the minister ” Where are the couple going?” The minister said the king had only asked him to enquire whose marriage was going on. Then Akbar asked birbal the same questioj. ” O My Majesty ! they are going to the city of Allahabad,” replied Raja Birbal. Now the king turned towards the minister and said,” Now do you understand why Birbal is more important to me? It is not enough if you complate a tas. You have to use your intelligence to do a little more.’ The minister’s face fell. He had learnt the importance of being Birbal, the hard way.

Mahesh Das was a citizen in Akbar’s Kingdom. he was an intelligent young man. Once when Akbar went hunting in the jungle, he lost his way. Mahesh Das who lived in the outskirts helped the king reach the palace. the emperor rewarded him with his ring. the Emperor also promised to give him a responsible posting at this court. After a few days Mahesh Das went to the court. the guard did not allow him to enter. Mahesh Das showed the guard the ring which the king had given him. Now the guard thought that the young man was sure to get more rewards by the king.The greedy guard agreed to allow him inside the court on one condition. It was that Mahesh Das had to pay him half the reward he would get from the Emperor. Mahesh Das accepted the condition. He then entered the court and showed the ring to the king. the king who recognized Mahesh and asked him ” Oh young man! What do you expect as a reward from the king of Hindustan?” ” Majesty ! I expect 50 lashes from you as a reward.” replied Mahesh Das. the courtiers were stunned., they thought that he was mad. Akbar pondered over his request and asked him the reason. Mahesh Das said he would tell him the reason after receiving the reward.then the king’s men whipped him as per his wish. After the 25th lash Mahesh Das requested the King to call the guard who was at the gate. The guard appeared before the king. He was happy at the thought that he was called to be be rewarded. But to his surprise, Mahesh Das told the king, ” This greedy guard let me inside on condition that I pay him half the reward I receive from you. I wanted to teach him a lesson. Please give the remaining 25 lashed to this guard so that I can keep my promise to him.”

The king then ordered that the guard be given 25 lashes along with 5 years of imrpsionment. the king was very happy with Mahesh Das. He called him ” RAJA BIRBAL” and made him his chief minister.

Birbal was one of the nine gems in the cout of emperor Akbar. He was respected by everyone for his intelligence and wit. whenever Akbar was in difficulty, he called
Birbal for help.

Akbar was very fond of jewellery. He had many rings of gold, pearls and diamonds. His favourite ring was the one with a large diamond at the centre and pearls around.

At the emperor’s palace, there were eight servants who looked after his clothes and jewellery. they also helped him get ready to go to the court. No one else ws allowed to enter his room.

One day, the Emperor wanted to wear his favourite ring. But it was missing. Akbar ordered a search for the ring. But no one could find it.

Akbar then asked his men to call Birbal. When Birbal came, he told him about the robbery and asked for help. Birbal called all the eight servants who were in charge of the Emperor’s room.

He gave each of them a stick of the same size and asked them to come back with it the next day. He told them that the stick of the person who had stolen the ring would become longer by one inch that night.

The next morning, the eight servants stood in a line with their sticks. Birbal caught hold of one of them and took him to Akbar.

The man fell at Akbar’s feet and admitted that he had stolen the ring.

The king was surprisd. He asked birbal how he found out the culprit. Birbal said the thief had cut his stick by an inch fearing that it would grow.