A Step To Death

Best collection of Akbar and Birbal stories in English. A step to death-Akbar Birbal folktales in English.

Akbar was coming down the stairs of the library with Birbal. There were too many steps and Akbar was feeling bored.

Akbar said, “Birbal, do you see these steps? It is a long way down. Now Birbal, you have to do one thing for me.”

Birbal replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Akbar said, “Well, I am your Emperor and so you have to obey me. By the time we reach the last step, you should be able to make me laugh. If you don’t, then you will be punished to death.”

Birbal had no choice but to obey. Birbal was not worried because he knew he could make Akbar laugh quite easily.

So he walked down the stairs with Emperor Akbar and started telling him a joke. But Akbar just did not laugh.

Birbal began to narrate another joke, then another, but Akbar would not laugh.

Birbal was not worried because there were yet many steps to go and he was sure that he would make Akbar laugh.

Birbal told many other jokes but it seemed that Akbar had quite made up his mind not to laugh at all. He would not even smile. Birbal then made funny faces but Akbar remained serious.

Now Birbal was really worried. They had come down the stairs and only a few steps remained.

Birbal counted and found that there were ten steps left.

He quickly thought of other jokes but none would come to his mind. Then he just began making up his own jokes.

But Emperor Akbar was not amused. Birbal started feeling afraid because he knew that emperors could get people hanged easily. Sometimes even just because they were angry or upset.

Birbal started trembling as only five steps were left.

Now four steps were left. No jokes seemed to come to his mind. Just three steps were left. Birbal tried to tell a joke, but couldn’t because he was really afraid now. So he kept silent.

They stepped on the second last step.

Birbal realized that his end was near because he couldn’t make Akbar laugh.

They were on the last step and Birbal could see his death very clearly now.

Out of fear, Birbal screamed at the Emperor, “You rogue. Why don’t you laugh? Will you laugh only after you get me hanged?”

No one could speak so rudely to the emperor. Birbal thought that now he would be surely punished to death.

But after hearing Birbal calling him a rogue and seeing his scared face, Akbar burst out laughing and. went on laughing as he stepped down to the bottom of the stairs. Birbal was relieved.

Birbal apologized to his king but he realized that Akbar’s timely laughter had saved him from certain death.  

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