Illustrator : Souren Roy 

Gopal Bhand, the clever barber, could be described as the Birbal of Bengal. His native shrewdness enabled him to turn every situation to his advantage. Little wonder that he was favoured by Raja Krishna Chandra of Krishna Nagar, who owed allegiance to the Nawab of Murshidabad. Whenever the eccentric Nawab gave Raja Krishna Chandra an impossible assignment, it was Gopal who came to the Raja’s rescue. Being the Raja’s favourite, however, did not turn his head. He mingled freely with the common people and often helped them too. That explains the popularity of this folk-hero to this day.