Don’t worry,
everything happens for the best
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There was a very popular emperor called Akbar who ruled in India in the 16th century. His favorite minister was Birbal, a very wise and witty man. One day the two of them went hunting. Akbar was cutting his arrow out of an animal he had just killed. His knife slipped and he cut his finger off. Birbal told him: « Don’t worry, everything happens for the best. »Akbar was enraged at the seemingly uncompassionate Birbal. He told him to get out of his sight and never to return. Akbar was then captured by a local forest tribe. On that day, according to their custom, they were supposed to sacrifice a man to the « gods. » So they decided to sacrifice Akbar. But the chief noticed he had a finger missing, and let him go because he wasn’t worthy enough. Akbar realized that Birbal had been right: if he hadn’t cut his finger off he would be dead by now! When he got back to the palace, he ordered his men to find Birbal and bring him back. But it took them a whole month to find him: he’d had a bit of a rough time, living in the forest on berries and roots. When he was finally brought before the emperor, Akbar saw his sorry condition and asked his friend and minister for forgiveness. Birbal replied, « No, it’s okay, everything happens for the best. » « But how can you say that, after all you suffered?! » Akbar exclaimed. Then Birbal replied, « Because if you hadn’t sent me away when you did, they would also have captured me, and since I hadn’t cut my finger off, I would have been killed! »
