The Real Thief
In a bygone era of opulence and extravagance, a lamentable incident unfolded within the confines of a prosperous merchant’s palatial abode. This merchant, adorned with affluence, found himself ensnared in a distressing situation – an incident of pilfering had transpired within his opulent chambers. The nascent tendrils of suspicion took root in his thoughts, tendrils that suggested an unsettling notion: the miscreant responsible for this act of thievery might very well be one among his retinue of loyal servants.
The merchant, harboring a burgeoning maelstrom of perplexity and consternation, undertook a pilgrimage to the grand court of Emperor Akbar, the renowned ruler of his realm. With imperial sagacity, Akbar perceived the gravity of the merchant’s predicament and thus summoned his most sagacious confidant, Birbal, known far and wide for his unparalleled wit and perspicacity. The royal edict was thus pronounced – Birbal was entrusted with the formidable task of uncovering the identity of the audacious pilferer.
Into the sprawling mansion of the merchant, Birbal delved, summoning the entirety of the merchant’s retinue, those humble yet indispensable servants who tended to the whims of their affluent master. In the midst of this assembly, Birbal, a paragon of contemplation, interposed a query that hung in the air like a delicate gossamer thread: Who, amongst this assemblage, dared to abscond with the merchant’s precious possessions? As if guided by a tacit code of fidelity, each voice resounded in a chorus of disavowal, denying any culpability in the grave crime.
But the tapestry of Birbal’s intellect was not woven from mere threads of conventional deduction; his cognitive faculties, akin to a labyrinthine labyrinth, embarked upon an intricate dance of ratiocination. A profound pause, akin to the hushed silence preceding a tempest’s fury, ensued, only to be broken by the resonant timbre of Birbal’s voice. An extraordinary stratagem had been conceived.
Into the hands of each servant, he placed an identical staff, a totem of fairness in an escalating drama of deceit. An incantation fell from his lips like drops of moonlight, instructing the servants that on the morrow, these humble rods would bear witness to an arcane transformation. The staff wielded by the true malefactor, he declared, would stretch and elongate by a span of two inches, as if animated by the very spirit of veracity. At the appointed hour of reckoning, the servants were adjured to reconvene within the mansion’s hallowed halls, each clutching his staff, now a silent arbiter of truth.
As dawn’s luminous fingers brushed aside the indigo curtain of night, the servants, bearing their spectral instruments of judgment, returned to the sanctum of justice. With palpable expectancy, they presented their wands before Birbal, their eyes like eager supplicants beseeching an oracle for solace. Birbal, the scribe of fate’s whims, commenced the ritual of revelation, surveying each staff with a discerning gaze.
And then, a minstrel of justice, with a gesture as measured as a heartbeat, he singled out a servant, a servant whose staff fell shy of its former length by a margin of two inches. In that moment, the tapestry of trickery unraveled, and the shards of truth shimmered in the liminal space between them. Birbal, his voice a melody of unmasking, declared, “Behold, noble merchant, your elusive thief stands before you, unveiled by the very instrument of his subterfuge.”
The perplexed merchant, bewildered yet profoundly curious, sought from Birbal a revelation of his ruminations. To this query, Birbal’s visage blossomed with the mirth of enlightenment. “Ah, my astute merchant,” he intoned, “the stratagem was not woven from the fabric of capriciousness. The thief, upon sensing the impending vindication of truth through the magical extension of the staff, elected to circumvent this manifestation of his deceit. Thus, under the shroud of night, he surreptitiously docked two inches from his staff, fearing the damning testimony of the morrow.”
Thus, the curtains closed on this chapter of intrigue and deception, and in the annals of justice and cunning, the name of Birbal found its eternal dwelling.
1. What metaphorical description is used to characterize Birbal’s cognitive faculties as he contemplates the situation at hand?
A. Like the swift currents of a tranquil river, Birbal’s thoughts flowed seamlessly, unraveling the tapestry of enigma.
B. The labyrinthine labyrinth of Birbal’s intellect embarked upon an intricate dance of ratiocination, akin to a symphony of cognition.
C. Birbal’s mind resembled a tapestry woven from threads of convention, each strand leading to a singular path of revelation.
D. The resplendent sun of Birbal’s intellect cast its radiant beams, illuminating the path to truth in the labyrinthine corridors of doubt.
2. What task did Birbal assign to the servants of the merchant, involving a tangible symbol of justice?
A. Birbal presented each servant with a sacred talisman, imbued with the power to unmask the truth behind the theft.
B. Birbal tasked the servants with compiling a detailed report of their activities, enabling him to discern the threads of veracity.
C. Birbal entrusted the servants with the responsibility of crafting an intricate mosaic, symbolizing their collective allegiance to truth.
D. Birbal provided the servants with identical sticks, proclaiming that the stick wielded by the actual thief would undergo a unique transformation overnight.
3. What was the significance of the servant whose stick was found to be shorter by two inches in the gathering convened by Birbal?
A. The servant in possession of the truncated stick was lauded for his honesty, as his stick had been voluntarily shortened as a mark of innocence.
B. The servant with the diminished stick was instantly acclaimed as the mastermind behind the theft, based on the evidence of his deceitful act.
C. The servant’s shortened stick signified his ascension to a position of honor among his peers, acknowledging his crafty ingenuity in evading justice.
D. The servant’s stick, reduced by two inches, was revealed as the ultimate emblem of guilt, unraveling the labyrinthine plot of deception.
4. Why did the merchant gather all of his servants in the presence of Birbal?
A. Driven by a desire to reveal the depths of his affluence, the merchant summoned his servants to flaunt his opulent lifestyle in front of Birbal.
B. The merchant, harboring a sense of camaraderie, invited his servants to regale Birbal with tales of their devotion and loyalty to his household.
C. Fueled by suspicions of internal treachery, the merchant assembled his servants under Birbal’s scrutiny to ascertain the identity of the thief.
D. In pursuit of artistic inspiration, the merchant gathered his servants for a creative collaboration, seeking Birbal’s guidance in their creative endeavor.
5. What did Birbal request of the assembled servants to determine the identity of the thief?
A. Birbal beseeched the servants to recount their most cherished memories within the merchant’s house, aiming to discern the subtle nuances of truth.
B. With an air of enigmatic authority, Birbal bade the servants to swear an oath of fealty, hoping to invoke divine intervention in exposing the thief.
C. Birbal distributed a cache of precious gems among the servants, tasking them with returning the stolen riches as a testament to their remorse.
D. In an astute display of deduction, Birbal furnished each servant with a staff and declared that the true thief’s staff would extend by two inches the following day.
6. How did the servants respond to Birbal’s stipulation regarding the staffs?
A. The servants, guided by a fervent desire for honesty, immediately confessed to their guilt, unburdening their souls in Birbal’s presence.
B. Overwhelmed by fear and anxiety, the servants hastily departed, each leaving behind their staff as an offering of appeasement to Birbal.
C. Responding in unison, the servants exhibited a collective stance of denial, vehemently refuting any involvement in the theft.
D. Driven by a profound sense of camaraderie, the servants engaged in a philosophical discourse regarding the symbolism of staffs in matters of justice.
7. What insight into Birbal’s character is provided by the story?
A. The passage reveals Birbal as a frivolous jester, employing his wit solely for entertainment, devoid of any inclination toward serious matters.
B. Birbal emerges as an astute strategist, concocting ingenious schemes that traverse the labyrinthine corridors of human psychology.
C. The passage characterizes Birbal as an indifferent observer, passively acquiescing to the merchant’s plight without offering his expertise.
D. Birbal’s demeanor reflects that of a haughty noble, condescendingly engaging with the merchant and his servants in matters of triviality.
8. What clandestine action did the true thief take during the night, according to Birbal’s explanation?
A. The true thief, haunted by guilt, ventured to confess his crime under the cover of darkness, hoping to absolve his conscience of the wrongdoing.
B. Driven by a sudden pang of remorse, the true thief secretly returned the stolen items to the merchant’s house, attempting to erase all traces of his misdeed.
C. Under the shroud of night, the true thief surreptitiously enhanced his staff’s length by two inches, aiming to obfuscate Birbal’s divination and secure his own innocence.
D. Inspired by a newfound sense of justice, the true thief sought the aid of mystical forces, beseeching them to reveal his guilt through a supernatural manifestation.
9. What metaphorical description is employed to emphasize the profound impact of Birbal’s declaration on the assembled servants?
Birbal’s proclamation reverberated through the chamber like the resonant toll of a cathedral bell, stirring the servants from their slumber of denial.
Like a gentle zephyr that rustles through the leaves of ancient oaks, Birbal’s words awakened the dormant conscience of the assembled servants.
The weight of Birbal’s words descended upon the servants’ hearts like a monsoon deluge, washing away the sands of falsehood and pretense.
Birbal’s pronouncement pierced the atmosphere like a lightning bolt, illuminating the shadows of deceit that had clouded the minds of the servants.
10. How did the servant with the shortened stick attempt to evade the impending revelation of guilt?
A. The servant with the truncated stick endeavored to incriminate himself by conspicuously showcasing his staff, believing that honesty would serve as his shield.
B. Fearing the impending disclosure, the servant with the diminished stick surreptitiously concealed his staff, believing that absence would nullify Birbal’s insight.
C. In a strategic ploy, the servant with the shortened stick feverishly carved intricate patterns onto his staff, hoping to divert Birbal’s attention from the discrepancy.
D. With a sense of impending doom, the servant with the altered stick entrusted it to the flames, believing that its fiery demise would eradicate the evidence of his guilt.
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