The Slow Cooking Khichri

The man entered the royal pond. Akbar had his guards posted there to make sure that the man really did as promised. The poor man was able to withstand the ordeal of spending an entire night in the cold water for money. Next morning he approached the emperor in royal court for his reward. But Akbar teased the poor man with a lot of verifications to ascertain weather he had really spent the entire night in the lake. He finally asked him how the man managed to spend the night in the lake. The poor man innocently replied, "There was a street lamp nearby, and I concentrated on the lamp. And so was I away from the cold."

By this reply he thought that the emperor would be all the more pleased.

But Akbar disappointed him, saying "No reward. You have taken the warmth from the street lamp". The poor man's confusion was confounded, and he left the court most frustrated.

Hearing this, Birbal wanted to do some thing to set right the wrong done to the poor man. That evening Birbal invited Akbar for a tasty Kichiri in his humble abode. Akbar, though an emperor, kindly and secular as he was, accepted Birbal's invitation thereby, Akbar and a few of him trusted confidants arrived at Birbal's house.