Stories of Birbal
Red Hot Test
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One day, one man wanted to punish a man named
Hasan. He accused him of stealing his necklace, and reported this theft in the
police. The case was brought in the Judge's court. Judge knew Hasan very well,
and he also knew that he was not a thief.
So he asked the man, "Why do you think
that Hasan has stolen your necklace?" The man replied, "Your Honor, I
have seen him stealing the necklace." Hasan said, "I am innocent, Your
Honor. I do not know anything about his necklace."
The man then said, "All right, if he is
innocent, let him prove his innocence. let me bring the hot iron, and if he can
hold it in his bare hands, then I will agree that he has not stolen my necklace,
and he is speaking truth."
The man said, "It means that if I am
speaking the truth, then I will not burn my hands with that red hot iron?"
"Yes, you are right. God will protect you."
Now Hasan could not do anything but to hold red
hot iron in his hands to prove his innocence, and that he was speaking the
truth. He asked judge to give him one day to look for that necklace again. The
judge gave him permission. He went home.
He took advice from Birbal. He returned next
day he came back and said, "I am ready for that, Sir, if you think so. But
the same thing should apply to him too. If he is speaking the truth, then the
red hot iron should not burn his hands also. So let him bring that red hot iron
holding in his both hands, then I will hold that iron in my bare hands."
Now the man was speechless. He told the Judge
that he would go and search his necklace again in his house, maybe it was
misplaced somewhere there, bowed hastily and went away.
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