One cold winter morning, Emperor Akbar and Birbal were walking by the lake. Akbar said, “Birbal, I think no one can stand in this cold water all night.”
Birbal smiled, “Maybe someone can, Your Majesty.”
Akbar announced that whoever stood in the cold lake all night would receive a big reward.

A poor man tried. He stood in the freezing lake all night, thinking about the lamp burning in Akbar’s palace far away. In the morning, he was shivering but alive.

Akbar asked, How did you manage ?

poor man said , “Your Majesty,” I was just thinking about the lamp that burned all night in the palace.

Akbar wouldn’t accept the reward and said, “You took warmth from that lamp” Birbal was listening to the entire conversation attentively. Next day, Birbal invited Akbar for dinner but served nothing, saying the food was still “cooking” under a lamp’s light far away. Akbar laughed and realized his mistake. The poor man was rewarded.

Moral of the Story :

Don’t be unfair, Effort and determination should always be rewarded.

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