Hasty Punishment

ONCE when Akbar was riding near a mango grove, an arrow whizzed past him. His soldiers rushed into the grove and caught hold of the archer, a young man, and brought him before Akbar. “Why did you try to kill me?” Akbar shouted at the youth. “ Jahanpannah, I wasn’t trying to kill you. I was only trying to knock the mango down with my arrow!” said the youth, who was already very afraid. The king was too angry to listen to him. “Put him to death in the same manner he tried to kill me,” he ordered to his soldiers. Receiving the King's orders soldiers tied the youth to a mango tree and another steadied his bow and arrow to shoot him. “This is not fair!” shouted Birbal who had been watching quietly. “If you want to shoot him the same way he tried to shoot the emperor, you will have to aim at the mango and the arrow will have to miss the mango and then strike him.” Akbar, who had calmed down by now, realized he had been unfair to the youth and ordered his soldiers to release him. The young man bowed and thanked the king & Birbal .

The End