The depth of gratitude and the height of ingratitude

Akbar wanted to see two creatures: the most ungrateful and the most grateful beings on earth. So he asked Birbal to bring before him, on the following morning, the most ungrateful creature and the most grateful creature on earth.

The poor Minister was thrown into a sea of doubt and worry. Whom should he select? Birbal had never lost in any of his little games with the Emperor, but if he could not bring these two creatures to the palace the next day, the Emperor would be terribly disappointed. Also, everybody would know that at last the Minister had been beaten in the game, and perhaps the Emperor would appoint somebody else to take his place. Birbal thought and thought, and at last he decided whom he would take to the Emperor.

The following day he asked his son-in-law to come with him to the palace, and he also brought his own dog. When he entered Akbar's presence with his dog, Akbar became angry. "You fool," he shouted. "Why are you bringing your dog into my palace?"

"Please wait, your Majesty," said Birbal.

"I told you to bring me the most grateful and the most ungrateful beings on earth," said the Emperor. "I see only one person and this dog. Now, how are you going to fulfil the wish I expressed yesterday?"

"Your Majesty, this is my son-in-law," explained Birbal. "No matter what I give him — thousands of rupees, clothes, furniture, anything — he is never grateful. On the contrary, he always feels that he deserves more. He feels that he has done me the greatest possible favour by marrying my daughter. All sons-in-law think that when they marry someone's daughter they are doing him a tremendous favour, so naturally they deserve everything from him. So you see, I have given him my dearest daughter, my money, my house, my prestige, everything, and still he is not satisfied. He will never be grateful.

"Now look at this dog. I give the dog practically nothing — just a little food (and sometimes I even forget to give him that) and a floor to sleep on. But how grateful, how faithful, how devoted he is. All the time he stays in front of my door, eager to protect me. If somebody wanted to commit a theft or hurt me, he would bark and bite, and chase the culprit away. All dogs are like this. Give them a piece of bread and they are ready to die for you. Look at the gratitude of the dog. This is the difference between the most ungrateful being and the most grateful being."

Then Akbar cried, "Why should we keep this ungrateful being on earth? Your son-in-law must be killed immediately. All ungrateful persons should be killed!"

But the Minister quickly responded, "Why only my son-in-law? If my son-in-law must be killed, then all sons-in-law must be killed, for they are all ungrateful to almost the same extent."

"Yes," agreed Akbar, "all sons-in-law have to be killed. Since all sons-in-law fall into the same category, they all have to be killed!"

The Emperor was about to order all sons-in-law to be brought to the palace and executed when the Minister said, "Wait, your Majesty."

"Why?" asked the Emperor.

"You are also somebody's son-in-law," said the Minister. "Why, the Queen's father is living right here in the palace. That means you also have to be killed."

At this, Akbar changed his mind, and nobody was killed.