The Trick of Cleverness .

- One who is clever moves and speaks sweetly with thought and rhythm.

Jivram Joshi

T here were two brothers. One of them was blind. He was the younger one. Whenever they had to go somewhere, the elder brother would take the blind brother along. The younger one would place his hand on his elder brother?s shoulder and walk behind him.

Although the younger brother was blind, he had a very sharp memory. If he walked on the same path two or three times, he could walk it alone and reach the exact spot. In their house, he moved about so naturally that no one would believe he was blind. It was as if he had a complete map of the house drawn in his mind.

One day, something quite surprising happened.

They were going to someone?s house at the far end of the village. The younger brother was walking with his hand on his elder brother?s shoulder.

This younger brother was blind. He couldn?t see what was around, or who was coming or going. And yet, something unbelievable happened.

As they were walking, the blind brother said, ?Brother! We should move aside ? a donkey is running toward us.?

The elder brother looked and yes ? a donkey was running fast toward them. It was the potter?s donkey. Who knows what happened ? maybe the potter had hit it with two big slaps on the back. The poor animal’s skin was shining red. In pain and rage, the donkey had started running wildly.

The donkey rushed past them. The blind brother stepped aside and let it pass.

The elder brother said, ?Good thing you told me! I wasn?t paying attention. That donkey was running wild. If we hadn?t moved aside, we might?ve been trampled.?

Now, this was surprising ? the donkey was far away, and the blind brother couldn’t see. Yet he warned about it in time.

They kept walking.

In one lane, then the next, the blind brother said, ?Brother, there are two dogs standing ahead. Walk carefully. These are snappy dogs that chase and bite strangers.?

The elder brother said, ?You?re right. Two dogs are standing there, and one of them is spotted like ShamaKoli?s dog. If it?s that one, we must be careful ? he?s a biter.?

Then the blind brother said again, ?Let?s wait. There?s a bullock cart coming from behind.?

And yes, a bullock cart was coming.

Dear readers, you must be wondering ? how did the blind brother know all this? How did he sense a donkey, see the dogs, or hear the cart?

Can you guess? Think about it.

If not ? read on for the answer.

Now another story.

Use your cleverness and see if you can find what?s true in this one. In the time of Emperor Akbar,

Birbal was his favourite minister.

One day, the two of them went on a trip and arrived in Agra.

Agra is on the bank of the Yamuna River, where the Taj Mahal stands.

Akbar said, ?Birbal, let?s go see the Taj Mahal first.?

Birbal replied, ?I was thinking the same. There?s no other building in the world as beautiful as the Taj Mahal. Once we see it, nothing else will compare.?

Akbar arrived at the Taj Mahal and stood still. He just couldn?t take his eyes off it. He kept staring at its beauty.

Birbal, on the other hand, kept glancing at Akbar. But the emperor didn?t blink. He stayed lost in the view.

Birbal was tired. Softly, he said, ?Your Majesty??

Akbar didn?t respond.

Birbal tried again. ?Your Majesty??

Still nothing.

A third time, Birbal raised his voice.

Only then did Akbar snap out of it.

?Oh Birbal! How long has it been??

Birbal said, ?Your eyes seem stuck to the Taj Mahal!?

Akbar said, ?Birbal, this view has touched me deeply.?

?What happened, Your Majesty??

Akbar said, ?The moment I looked at the Taj Mahal, I remembered Shah Jahan and his queen Mumtaz Mahal ? their eternal love story. If you hadn?t called me just now, I might have started crying. But I?ve controlled myself. Tell me, did you feel anything??

Birbal replied, ?Yes, I did. I turned my eyes away from the Taj Mahal very quickly. Had I stared any longer, I might?ve started laughing loudly! But I controlled myself and stopped.?

Akbar said, ?What are you saying, Birbal? How can anyone feel like laughing while looking at the Taj Mahal??

Birbal said, ?And I don?t believe someone would start crying either.?

Akbar said, ?When we hear of the deep love between Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, it moves us to tears. That?s natural.?

Birbal said, ?When we look at the Taj Mahal, a wise person might also remember that after 

Shah Jahan and Mumtaz, there have been many such kings and queens. And remembering that ? it?s hard not to laugh.?

Akbar said, ?I don?t believe that.?

Birbal replied, ?Then forgive me, Your Majesty. But I also find your tears hard to believe.?

Akbar said, ?Are you saying I?m wrong??

Birbal said, ?Are you saying I?m wrong??

Akbar said, ?Let someone else judge. Even a one-eyed man could tell whose opinion is right.?

Just then, a one-eyed trader arrived carrying a sack full of broken pots. He was walking through the town buying junk. He placed the sack down and began looking at the Taj Mahal.

Birbal said, ?Dear man, how can you enjoy the Taj Mahal with that heavy sack on your head? Put it down.?

The one-eyed man replied, ?No, sir. A smart man stays alert. If I set the sack down and get lost in the view, someone might run off with it!?

Akbar laughed. ?Birbal, this man is clever. Let him judge between us.?

So Birbal explained the entire story and asked for his decision.

The man placed his sack down, sat, and said, ?You two seem very wise. I love clever talk. My father used to love it too. Before he died, he told me: ?Son, only speak cleverly with clever people. Don?t waste your words on just anyone. There?s a test I?ll teach you. Ask this riddle to know who?s truly clever.??

Birbal asked, ?What is the riddle??

The one-eyed man said:

?There was a town with a rule. Any trader who entered had to pay a toll. Especially for coconuts ? at each checkpoint, the trader had to give one coconut per sack. One trader had two sacks, each with 100 coconuts. On his way, he passed through 100 checkpoints. At each one, he gave one coconut per sack. And yet, when he reached the town, he still had 50 coconuts left. How??

Akbar was thrilled. He thought, ?This time, Birbal won?t be able to solve it.?

There were 200 coconuts total, and 100 checkpoints ? paying two coconuts each time. That should leave him with none!

But this was Birbal.

He thought carefully and then said:

?The trader gave two coconuts from the same sack at each checkpoint. After 50 checkpoints, one sack was empty. Then he had only one sack left and gave just one coconut per checkpoint. So he gave 100 + 50 = 150 coconuts. That means 50 were left.?

The one-eyed man clapped in delight. ?This man is clever. His answer must be the right one. That?s my judgement.?

Akbar wasn?t happy. But what could he do?

Dear readers ? what do you think?

Still confused?

This entire story of Akbar and Birbal is itself a riddle.

Because Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal lived long after Akbar?s time.

During Akbar?s reign, the Taj Mahal didn?t even exist.

So, the whole story is false.

As for the blind brother:

He had sharp ears and memory.

He heard the donkey?s hooves thudding, the dogs barking, the bullock cart rumbling.

That?s how he knew it all.

That?s the trick of cleverness!