The Emperor’s Dream

One night the Emperor Akbar had a terrible dream. He dreamed that all his teeth fell out, one after another, except for a single tooth that stayed firmly in place. He woke up sweating and could not get back to sleep.

In the morning he sent for the royal astrologer. “What does such a dream mean?”

The astrologer studied his charts, muttered, counted on his fingers, and finally looked up with a grave face.

“Your Majesty, I am afraid the meaning is very sad. Your teeth are your family. The dream means that all your relatives will die, one after another, while you are still alive to see it.”

The Emperor went red with fury. “How dare you bring me such news! Get out of my sight!” And the astrologer was thrown out of the palace without his fee.

Akbar was still upset when Birbal came into the room. “Birbal, I had a dream that all my teeth fell out but one. That fool of an astrologer told me it meant my whole family would die. What do you say?”

Birbal smiled. “I say it is a wonderful dream, Your Majesty.”

“Wonderful?”

“Of course. Your teeth fell out and only one remained. That one tooth is you. It means that Your Majesty will live longer than any of your relatives. You will have the longest life of anyone in your family.”

The Emperor’s face cleared like the sky after rain. “The longest life! What good news.” And he gave Birbal a fine gold chain.

Later that day one of the courtiers took Birbal aside. “I don’t understand. You said exactly the same thing as the astrologer. If the Emperor outlives all his relatives, then of course they will all die before him. Why was he thrown out, while you got a gold chain?”

“We said the same thing,” said Birbal. “But he said it like a funeral, and I said it like a celebration. The truth is the same truth. It is the way you carry it that decides whether people thank you for it or throw you out of the door.”