see him in the hopes of getting a reward. One day a palmist came to
his court and offered to see the Emperor's hand and tell his future.
Looking at Akbar's hand he said, "Bad news, Sire! It seems that all
your relatives will die before your eyes!"
The Emperor had a short temper in such matters and immediate the poor
palmist was sent to the prison. Birbal felt sorry for the poor Pandit
and went to see him in jail. On Birbal's advice the Pandit appealed to
be allowed to see the Emperor's hand one more time.
He was allowed this second chance and this time while looking at the
same hand he said, "I beg forgiveness for my previous mistake, Sire!
It clearly shows that you will have a long life, longer than any of
your family members or relatives."
This time the Emperor rewarded him and sent him on way.
What changed in both instances?
Moral of the story: Not just the content but the way of presentation
also matters. We should always be careful how we use our words.
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