Truth Always Finds Its Way

Once there was a religious man who wanted to go on a pilgrimage. He did not want to take his life savings with him on his journey, so he went to one of his good friends and took him to a forest so that he could talk to him in private. So both of them went to the forest. There he told him that he was going on a pilgrimage and asked him to hold his savings for him till he comes back. He would collect it when he comes back. His friend agreed to keep his money for him, took the bag, and the next day that man left for his pilgrimage.

Many years passed but the religious man did not return, but one fine morning that man came and knocked on his friend’s door and asked for his money back. His friend kept changing the subject, but in the end, he had to say – “I don’t know what are you talking about. What type of money you are talking about? The old man was shocked to hear this, but softly he reminded him of the whole incident. The friend said – “You are crazy. When did you give me the money? You are lying.” The man kept requesting his money but the friend did not hear a word and shut his door upon him.

The old man got very disappointed and went to Emperor Akbar. Akbar heard his story, called his wise advisor Birbal and handed over the case to him. Birbal also heard his story and called his friend to whom he gave his money. Birbal asked him to return the old man’s money which he gave him before going on pilgrimage, but the friend clearly refused to say that he did not give him any money.

Now Birbal got perplexed, what to do in this case. After a while, he asked the old man – “Do you have any witness that you gave your money to him?” “No, Sir. Because I gave him that money in a forest under a mango tree.”

Birbal scolded him – “You are foolish to say that you have no witness. You do have a witness – that mango tree is your witness. Can’t you get some help from that mango tree?” The old man kept looking at Birbal hearing this. How the hell that tree can help him in this matter? He kept thinking, is Birbal not a fool? At the same time, Birbal said – “Go and bring that mango tree here. Tell him that Birbal wants you to be present before him in this case. Go quickly and bring it here.”

The old man now was sure that Birbal had gone mad, but since he had no other alternative, he started towards the forest. Both Birbal and the friend sat waiting for the old man to bring the mango tree. One hour passed, two hours passed, when the old man did not come back, Birbal said loudly – “Why this man is not coming back, two hours have already passed. Why is he taking such a long time to do such a small task?”

The friend immediately spoke – “Sir, he can’t possibly come so soon, because he would not have even reached that place yet.” Birbal asked him – “What do you mean? Do you mean that that place is so far that it would take him more than two hours to reach there?” “Yes Sir, The place he told you is very far from here.” Birbal said – “Oh, I see.” and kept quiet.

After a long time, the old man came and said to Birbal – “Sir, I gave your message to the tree but it did not answer.” Birbal said – “Do not worry, the tree has already witnessed that you gave money to this man.” Then he said to the old man’s friend – “You have one more chance to accept your guilt and return the money to him.” But the friend kept insisting that the old man did not give any money to him.

Now Birbal asked – “Then how do you know that the tree under which he claimed that he gave the money to you, is so far from here?” After all, the friend had to accept his lie and return the money to the old man.

So sooner or later the truth comes out in light because to hide a truth we have to tell many lies and somewhere they clash and we are caught in them. While the truth is one and is easy to remember.