This is one of the great Comic Story of Akbar and Birbal. A farmer had a very big farm.
Once a farmer was looking for water for irrigation of the farm.
Nearby there was a well whose owner lived in his neighborhood. The farmer bought the well from his neighbor for a thousand coins.
After a few days, if the farmer needed water for irrigation, he went to the well and drew water. But his neighbor was very vicious.
He told the farmer that I have sold you the well but not the water of the well.
You cannot drain well water for irrigation of fields. Both of them started arguing with each other.
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The farmer took his problem to Akbar’s court. Akbar listened to each of them and asked Birbar (who was one of the novel wonders of Akbar’s court) for advice.
After listening to the farmer’s agony, Birbal asked the neighbor, why are you not letting the farmer get water from the well when you have sold the well to the farmer?
The neighbor said that I had sold only the well but not the well’s water, so the farmer did not have the right to drain the well.
Birbal said, look when the farmer has bought the well from you, then you have no right to keep your water in the farmer’s well. Either you give the rent to the farmer or let the farmer take water from the well.
The neighbor was scared now. He realized his mistake and apologized to the farmer and left the court.
Akbar was pleased after providing justice to the farmer and praised birbal for solving the problem.
Moral of the Story – The Farmer and Well
If you cheat, you will pay for it sooner and later.