Because Birbal was very wise and witty, the Emperor's courtiers and other people used to be very jealous with him and always used to find some way to degrade him.

One day the court barber, who was very jealous with Birbal, plotted a plan against him. So when the King called him next time to trim his beard, he went there and started trimming his beard.
He said, "Sir, last night I dreamed about your father."
The King got interested, so he asked, "What did he say to you?"
"Sir, he said to me, that everything is good in paradise, but he feels a great  absence of a good humorous man who can amuse him."

The King thought and thought, but nobody else he could think of except Birbal who could perform this kind of duty very well. And, naturally, the only way to go to heaven was through death. For a moment, Akbar was very sad to lose such a good man, but thinking of his father, he made up his mind.

He summoned Birbal and said, "I think Birbal you love me very much and you can sacrifice anything for me." Birbal tried to understand his point but couldn't guess. He said, "You know Majesty, I do." "Then Birbal, please go to heaven to give company to my dear father." Birbal understood that this was a wicked plan of somebody to kill him. He said to Emperor politely, "I will do so, but I need a few days to prepare myself to go to heaven." The King said, "Certainly. You are giving me such a great favor, I allow you one week to prepare yourself."

Now Birbal was worried. He thought, somebody has planned very well and he could not escape from this plan. He thought and thought and then he found a way. He dug a ditch near his house which would serve as his grave, and dug a tunnel too which would open in a room of his house. After doing this, he returned to the Imperial Court. He said, " I am ready, His Majesty, but there are two conditions." Akbar was so happy to hear this that he forgot that Birbal might put some odd conditions to him. He asked, "What are those conditions, Birbal? Tell me soon. I will try to fulfill them so that you can go to Heaven to be with my dear father."

Birbal said, "His majesty, I wish to be buried near my house. And I want to be buried alive so that I can reach heaven alive to amuse your dear father." The King found this logical and agreed up on them immediately.

So Birbal was buried alive near his house. Of course after being buried alive he made his way to his house where he lived in confinement for six months. After six months, he came out of hiding with grown beard and shabby hair and asked the permission of the Emperor to appear in the Royal Court.

Looking at him Akbar cried, "Where have you been Birbal?" Birbal said, "Your Majesty, I was in Heaven with your dear father. I had a very good time there with your father. He was so happy with my services that he gave me special permission to return to Earth." Akbar was very anxious to know about his father, so he asked, "Did he send any message for me?" Birbal said, "Yes Your Majesty, He has said that very few barber can make it to go to Heaven, and people are living there shabbily. You can make out this from my own grown beard and shabby hair, so he has asked to send your own barber to him immediately.

Akbar understood everything. He gave Birbal a big prize, and his barber the life sentence.

The End