The Donkey’s Signature

Birbal secured a confession by asking a donkey to read; the ink was shame, the paper a lie.

Birbal hung a cloth behind a stall and told suspects the donkey would bray if a thief tugged its tail. He’d soothed the animal with incense and smeared the cloth with soot. Only one man emerged with a spotless palm—he hadn’t dared to test the tail. The donkey stayed silent; the truth did not.