King Vikramaditya fetched Betal from the later’s Peepul tree and started walking placing Betal on his shoulder. Betal started narrating the next story to Vikram.
One day, a brave young man named Birbal appeared in King Roopsen’s court. Birbal displayed exceptional weaponry skills and power. Pleased at Birbal’s skill, the king asked him what he wanted. Birbal requested the King to let him be the King’s bodyguard. Roopsen agreed. From that day Birbal carried on with his duty of protecting the king and the kingdom with utmost sincerity.
After few days, as Birbal was walking by the forest, he heard a scream and saw a demon coming down from the mountain towards Roopsen’s palace. Birbal immediately drew his sword and decided to stop the demon on the way.
But the demon was very powerful and told Birbal that, “I want the king to give up his kingdom to me. Otherwise, I will curse the entire Kingdom.”
Birbal was worried and pleaded with the demon, “Is there anything that can be done so that the king does not have to give up his kingdom?”
The demon said that – “There is only one way. Find a person with a pure heart and send him to me.”
Birbal agreed to this and promised to return the next day with a suitable man. Once he reached home, looking him worried, his son asked what happened. As Birbal narrated the day’s event, his son offered to sacrifice himself and go with the demon.
The next day morning, King Roopsen came to know about the entire incident. He reached the forest, as Birbal was entering there with his son. Roopsen pleaded with the demon, to save the young boy and take something else instead.
The demon agreed and said, ” Give me half your kingdom and I will go away.” Roopsen agreed and gave away half his kingdom to the demon. Satisfied the demon went back to his mountain home. Birbal returned home happily with his son.
Betal finished his story and asked Vikram, “Tell me Wise King, who offered the bigger sacrifice here? King Roopsen or Birbal’s son?”
Vikram replied, ” Definitely the son. The King has to protect his people. But the son did not know the king and did not have to sacrifice himself.”
“Yes, you are right. Now I must go back to my tree since you broke silence” Said Betal and flew away to his tree. Vikramaditya ran after Betal chasing him.