Birbal’s cleverness was well-known to Emperor Akbar and the entire court. However, Akbar continued to test Birbal’s wit from time to time.
One morning, Emperor Akbar summoned Birbal and they went for a stroll in the royal garden. There, the birds were making various sounds. Suddenly, Akbar’s attention was drawn to a crow, and mischievous thoughts crossed his mind. He asked Birbal, “I want to know how many crows are in our kingdom.” Although the question seemed a bit tricky, Birbal responded, “Your Majesty, I can answer your question, but I need some time.” Akbar smiled and granted Birbal the requested time.
A few days later, Birbal returned to the court. Emperor Akbar inquired, “Tell me, Birbal, how many crows are there in our kingdom?” Birbal replied, “Your Majesty, there are approximately 323 crows in our kingdom.” Hearing this, everyone in the court started looking at Birbal.
Emperor Akbar then asked, “What if the number of crows in our kingdom is more than that?” Birbal responded, “It’s possible, Your Majesty, that some crows have come to our kingdom to visit their relatives.” Akbar continued, “And if the number is less?” Birbal cleverly replied, “It’s possible that the crows of our kingdom have gone to other countries to visit their relatives.”
As soon as Birbal made this statement, the entire court burst into laughter, and once again, Birbal earned praises for his intelligence.
Moral of the story:
Children, this story teaches us that if we use our intelligence, we can find solutions to every problem and answer every question.
