Delhi was the capital of India during the rule of Shenshah (King) Akbar. Sultan, a barber and an eccentric person, lived in Delhi. He was Akbar's barber. Being the King's barber he never cut the hair of any other man except the King.
One day a poor woodcutter had come to the market with a load of firewood on his donkey and was trying to sell his wood. To attract attention of the buyers he was shouting, "A donkey-load of wood for only a rupee."

Sultan called the woodcutter and gave him a rupee. The woodcutter unloaded the wood and started to walk away with his donkey. He was stopped by Sultan who said, " This donkey is mine, I have paid you a rupee, haven't I?"
The woodcutter said, " I have sold only the wood to you, and not the donkey!"
Sultan argued, "You have sold me the wood and the donkey."
A heated argument started and continued for time before both of them agreed to go to the Kazi (Judge) for justice.

The Kazi knew Sultan and was afraid to displease the King, who was likely to hear a distorted version from Sultan if the ruling went against him. The Kazi asked the woodcutter, "What were you selling?"
"A donkey-load of wood," replied the woodcutter.
"Aha," said the Kazi, "That means both the wood and the donkey," giving his judgement.

The poor woodcutter, now in tears, went and met Birbal (A loved courtier in Akbar's court). Birbal after hearing the whole story advised the barber about what he should do.

On the appointed day, as per Birbal's advice the woodcutter came to Delhi and went to Sultan. He hailed him and said, "Sultan, I have a problem. Please help me. A few days ago a friend of mine was injured in an accident, at that time I had prayed and vowed to Allah that if his life was saved I would get our hair cut from you. You will have to help me to fulfill my vow, for which Allah will bless you as by his grace only my friend's life was saved. I know that you only give a haircut to the King emperor, but I also know that you are a kind man. Please help me and I will give you two gold pieces."
Sultan, though reluctant, was enticed by the flattery and the gold coins of the woodcutter and agreed to cut the woodcutter and his friend's hair

After the woodcutter had his haircut he said, "Now let me go and bring my friend here." Saying this he went to the other corner of Sultan's courtyard untied his donkey and brought him to Sultan and asked him to give the donkey a haircut.
"Hey you," said Sultan, "this is a donkey! Where is your friend?"
" Sir this is my friend,' said the woodcutter, " Please cut his hair and fulfill my vow to Allah."

Once again a heated argument followed and once again both of them agreed to go to the Kazi for justice. When they reached the Kazi's house they found Birbal present in the Kazi's court.
Sultan said to the Kazi, " Your honor, I had agreed to cut the hair of this woodcutter and his friend, not a donkey."
The woodcutter argued politely, " Your honor, a poor woodcutter like me can only have a donkey as my friend, others do not want to be my friends."
Birbal now spoke up, " Kazi sahib! The words 'My friend and I' sounds clearer than ' A donkey load of wood'."
The Kazi understood what Birbal wanted to say. He ordered Sultan to cut the donkey's hair and also return the donkey to the woodcutter.

So the eccentric, and puffed up Sultan who had cut nobody else's hair except the Emperor's had to cut a donkey's hair. His false pride lay shattered.