Bidhi Chand Recovers the Gurus Horses

Dadi: "Beta, do you know what makes a good spy? Someone so clever that even emperors can't catch them?"

Guddu: "Someone who's really sneaky, Dadi?"

Dadi: "Sneaky, yes - but also brave and devoted! Let me tell you about Bhai Bidhi Chand, a former thief who became one of the Guru's most daring warriors. His mission? To steal back two beautiful horses that had been taken unjustly."

Guddu: "A thief became a warrior? How did that happen?"

Dadi: "Bidhi Chand was born into a Jat family near Lahore. When he was young, he led a life of crime - stealing from people, causing trouble. But then he met Guru Hargobind, and everything changed."

Guddu: "The Guru changed him?"

Dadi: "Completely! Bidhi Chand gave up his old ways and dedicated himself to serving the Guru. His skills, which had once been used for wrong, would now serve a righteous purpose."

Guddu: "What happened with the horses?"

Dadi: "In 1630, two devoted Sikhs from far-away Kabul were traveling with a special gift for the Guru - two magnificent horses named Dil Bagh, meaning "Heart's Happiness," and Gul Bagh, meaning "Flower of Happiness.""

Guddu: "Beautiful names!"

Dadi: "Beautiful horses too, beta. But when the travelers passed through Lahore, the Emperor's officials seized the horses! They were so fine that the officials took them straight to the Emperor's own stable."

Guddu: "That's stealing!"

Dadi: "Exactly. That evening, after prayers, the Guru told everyone about this injustice. Then he asked: "Is there any Sikh who can bring back my horses from the Lahore fort?""

Guddu: "Did Bidhi Chand volunteer?"

Dadi: "Immediately! He stood up and said he would do it. And his plan was brilliant."

Guddu: "What was his plan?"

Dadi: "First disguise: A poor grass-cutter. Bidhi Chand dressed in ragged clothes and carried a bundle of soft, green grass past the fort. The stable keeper saw the lovely grass and bought it. He even asked Bidhi Chand to carry it inside!"

Guddu: "He got inside the fort just like that?"

Dadi: "Yes! He told them his name was Kasera and that he'd love to work as a royal grass-cutter. Day after day, he came back with grass, earning their trust. Eventually, they hired him to tend the Emperor's own horses!"

Guddu: "So clever! What happened next?"

Dadi: "Every night, Bidhi Chand would throw large rocks into the river Ravi that flowed by the fort. SPLASH! SPLASH! When guards came running, he'd tell them it was just a big animal."

Guddu: "Why did he do that?"

Dadi: "He was training the guards to ignore loud noises at night, beta! Then, during a festival when all the soldiers and servants got drunk on celebration, Bidhi Chand made his move."

Guddu: "He took the horse?"

Dadi: "He saddled Dil Bagh, mounted him, and rode straight for the fort wall. With a mighty leap, the horse jumped over the wall into the river Ravi!"

Guddu: "Amazing! But what about the second horse?"

Dadi: "When Dil Bagh arrived at the Guru's village, he wouldn't eat. He was too sad without his companion Gul Bagh. So Bidhi Chand had to go back!"

Guddu: "A second time? That's so risky!"

Dadi: "This time he needed a different disguise. Second disguise: An astrologer! He changed his appearance completely and arrived at the fort claiming to be a great tracker and stargazer who could find anything that was lost."

Guddu: "Did they believe him?"

Dadi: "The Emperor was impressed! Bidhi Chand - now calling himself Ganak - said he could help find the missing horse through reading the stars."

Guddu: "What was his plan this time?"

Dadi: "He convinced the Emperor that for the magic to work, all horses must be saddled and ready. Perfect silence was needed. And no one could enter or leave the fort."

Guddu: "The Emperor fell for it?"

Dadi: "Completely! And then, standing in front of everyone, Bidhi Chand revealed himself: "Listen, oh Emperor! You unjustly stole two horses belonging to my beloved Guru Hargobind. I have already taken one horse back. My name is Bidhi Chand. I am the Guru's servant. And now you have even saddled Gul Bagh for me!""

Guddu: "He told them who he was?!"

Dadi: "Right to their faces! Then he jumped on Gul Bagh and made the horse leap over the fort wall, just like before! By the time the guards got the doors open, he was far away."

Guddu: "That's incredible! What happened when he returned?"

Dadi: "The Sikhs renamed the horses - Dil Bagh became "Jan Bhai" meaning "dear as life," and Gul Bagh became "Suhela" meaning "dear companion." And the Guru was so pleased that he said: "Bidhi Chand Chhina is very near to my heart. He is a lovable devotee. He will never suffer from want.""

Guddu: "What does this story teach us, Dadi?"

Dadi: "So many things, beta! First, it shows that anyone can change. Bidhi Chand was once a thief, but he transformed his life through devotion. Second, the skills we have - even unusual ones - can be used for good purposes. His cleverness and daring, once used for crime, became tools for justice."

Guddu: "And he was really brave to go back a second time!"

Dadi: "That's devotion, beta. When Dil Bagh was sad without his friend, Bidhi Chand didn't say "I already did enough." He risked everything again because the job wasn't complete. True service means finishing what you started."

Guddu: "I love how he announced himself before escaping the second time!"

Dadi: "That's the confidence of someone who knows they're doing right, beta. He wasn't ashamed. He wanted the Emperor to know that taking what wasn't his had consequences - even for an emperor!"

Guddu: "Bidhi Chand is like a hero from an action movie, Dadi!"

Dadi: "Better, beta - he was real! And his story reminds us that sometimes recovering what's been wrongly taken requires courage, cleverness, and complete devotion to what's right."