Once a man sold his well to a farmer. Next day when a farmer went to draw the water from that well, the man did not allow him to draw the water from it. He said, “I have sold you the well, not the water, so you cannot draw the water from the well.”

The farmer became very sad and came to the Emperor’s court. He described everything to the Emperor and asked for the justice.

The Emperor called Birbal and handed over this case to him. Birbal called the man who sold the well to the farmer. Birbal asked, “Why don’t you let him use the water of the well. You have sold the well to the farmer.” The man replied, “Birbal, I have sold the well to the farmer, not the water. He has no right to draw the water from the well.”

Then Birbal smiled and said to him, “Good, but look, since you have sold the well to this farmer, and you claim that water is yours, then you have no right to keep your water in the farmer’s well. Either you pay rent to the farmer to keep your water in his well, or you take that out of his well immediately.”

The man understood, that his trick has failed. Birbal has outwitted him.

Moral: Don’t Try to Cheat. You will end up paying for it regardless of how smart you think you are.