Bullock’ milk

(Daund Chu Toeti Di Chhir)

Sham S. Misri

One day Akbar the great king of India asked Birbal’s daughter, “Can a man give birth to a child?” She replied, ”Can a bullock give milk?”

Birbal was Akbar’s great minister. The Muslim ministers hated him and tried to get rid of him. Birbal was often punished on account of what they said.

One day a Muslim minister said to Akbar, ” Will your Majesty please get some bullock’ milk from Birbal.”

Akbar promised that he would give the order, and on the following morning there was the paper signed and sealed by the king. The document was spread out before Birbal, ordering him to procure some bullock’s milk within fifteen days, or else die.

Birbal was overwhelmed with fear and astonishment. The minister’s daughter seeing her father in this wretched state at once devised a scheme. She went straight to the butcher’s shop, and there soaked her wrap, a sheet of cloth, in some blood lying about, and then went and washed it in the part of the river opposite the king’s palace. Akbar observing this enquired the reason of the blood. She replied: “No, I have not murdered any one, but yesterday Birbal had delivered a child in the house.”

Akbar said, “Can a man bear a child?” 

The girl answered: “Can a bullock give milk?”

Birbal was exalted to still greater honour and power on account of this shrewdness of his daughter.