Birbal tells the story of an ancient king of India who was bored and wanted a new pastime. A wise man presented chess game. Delighted, the king wanted to reward him. The wise man asks for a little rice: one grain, two, four, and so on, on the squares of the chessboard. The royal treasurer realizes it will bankrupt kingdom. Birbal concludes: King must take advice from the wise or be made fools of by them.
Notes: In my version, I had Akbar himself be the king who rashly offers that reward, not realizing the consequences.
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