One day, in the royal court of Emperor Akbar, a knowledgeable pundit had come. He wanted to ask Emperor Akbar some questions, but it proved difficult for Akbar to answer them. Therefore, he assigned the task of answering the pundit’s questions to Birbal, known for his wit and intelligence. Everyone was aware of Birbal’s cleverness, and they hoped that he could easily handle the pundit’s questions.
The pundit said to Birbal, “I give you two options. Either you give me answers to my 100 simple questions, or you answer one difficult question of mine.” After thoughtful consideration, Birbal replied, “I would like to answer one of your difficult questions.”
The pundit then asked Birbal, “Tell me, did the chicken come first, or the egg?” Birbal promptly replied, “The chicken came first.” The pundit then questioned how he could answer so easily that the chicken came first. To this, Birbal responded, “This is your second question, and I was supposed to answer only one of your questions.”
Upon hearing this, the pundit was left speechless. Without uttering a word, he left the court. Akbar, witnessing Birbal’s cleverness and wisdom, was once again pleased. This incident reinforced that Birbal’s presence as the chief advisor in Emperor Akbar’s court was invaluable.
Lesson from the story:
By applying the mind correctly and maintaining composure, answers to every question and solutions to every problem can be found.
