Once upon a time, there were two brothers living in Akbar’s kingdom. They had a big fight over a large mango tree.
The elder brother Ram said, “This is my Mango tree. All the mangoes belong to me.”
The younger brother Sham said, “No, you liar. This is my Mango tree. All the mangoes belong to me. I have worked very hard for this.”
They fought for a week and then they decided that they would go to King Akbar for Justice. King Akbar was famous for solving the problems of the people. King Akbar asked them both to come to court and explain their problem.
Ram said, “My King. I have taken care of this mango tree every day. This mango tree and all the mangoes belong to me. I do not wish to share this with my brother.”
Sham said, “My King. My brother is lying. I have planted, watered and taken care of this mango tree every day since the last 5 years. The mango tree is mine and all the mangoes also belong to me. I do not wish to share this with my brother.”
King Akbar turned to his favorite minister Birbal and said, “Birbal, how do we find out a solution for this problem?”
Birbal said, “There is no way to know who is the real owner of the tree. Both brothers live in the same house. Let us divide the mangoes into half and give one potion to each. Let us also cut the tree into half and give them one half each.”
Ram agreed to the solution immediately with a smile on his face. Sham burst into tears and said, “My King, I have worked so hard to take care of this tree. This mango tree is like a child to me. Please do not cut down this tree.”
Birbal and Akbar looked at each other and smiled. It became very obvious as to who really took care of the tree.
King Akbar said, “Sham, you are the real owner of the tree. Ram did not care when we asked for the tree to be cut. Sham has worked hard and hence he does not want the tree to be cut. Only someone who has really worked hard and taken great care of something will know its true value.”
Moral: The value of something is well known only to those who have worked hard for it.
