The List of Fools

Emperor Akbar had many pastimes, from playing chess to flying paper kites. He also loved listening to stories of distant lands. But his ultimate interest was in horses, and he had an excellent collection of them.

One day, a trader of horses entered Akbar's palace; he had a group of horses he wanted to sell. His Majesty stepped out of the castle to inspect the horses personally. 

"These are magnificent horses indeed!" said the king. "I would like to buy all of them from you. Do you have more?" 

"Not at the moment, Your Highness," replied the trader. "But if you give me some money, I can bring more horses from Afghanistan." 

King Akbar bought the entire collection of horses from the trader. He gave him an additional two hundred gold coins in advance so he could bring more horses from Afghanistan. He did so without inquiring about the trader's name, where he came from, or his place of residence. The trader took the money and was not seen for the next few days. 

In the meantime, Akbar requested Beerbal to compile a list of the ten biggest fools in Bharat. Beerbal prepared the list and handed it to Akbar. Imagine the emperor's surprise when he found his own name at the top of the list! 

"Beerbal, how dare you?" roared Akbar. 

"You just gave a considerable sum of money to a stranger without ascertaining anything about his identity," replied Beerbal. "If that isn't foolishness, I don't know what is!" 

"But what if the trader returns with the horses?" asked an annoyed Akbar. 

"Then I will strike your name out and put his at the top," replied the quick-witted Beerbal.