Akbar once asked Birbal, 'Birbal, what makes a man truly wealthy?' Birbal replied, 'Your Majesty, a man is wealthy when he has more friends than enemies.' Akbar then said, 'But how can one be sure?' Birbal said, 'If a man can sleep peacefully at night without fearing any harm, he has more friends. If he lies awake in fear, he has more enemies.' Akbar laughed at this simple yet profound answer.
The king Akbar was known for his love of good food. One day, he asked Birbal, 'Birbal, what is the most delicious thing in the world?' Birbal thought for a moment and said, 'Hunger, Your Majesty. Because when a man is hungry, even the simplest of foods taste like the most delicious banquet.' Akbar was quite surprised by this answer and realized the truth in it.
There was a time when Akbar got angry with Birbal and banished him from the court. After a while, Akbar missed Birbal's company. So he sent a message to Birbal saying that he should return if he could bring a gift that satisfies three conditions: it should be something that can be seen but not touched, it should be something that can be eaten but not digested, and it should be something that can be felt but not held. Birbal came back with a lighted lamp. Akbar could see the light but not touch it, the heat from the lamp could be felt but not held and the oil in the lamp could be 'eaten' by the flame but not digested. Akbar was so impressed that he welcomed Birbal back with great joy.
There was a time when Akbar and Birbal were walking in the garden. Akbar saw a mango tree full of ripe mangoes. He asked Birbal to count all the mangoes without touching any. Birbal thought for a while and then said, 'Your Majesty, there are as many mangoes as there are hairs on your beard.' Akbar laughed as he knew it was an impossible task to count the hairs on his beard and thus count the mangoes too.
Akbar once said to Birbal, 'Birbal, can you make me laugh without saying a word?' Birbal nodded. He then started making the funniest faces. His eyes bulged out, his nose twitched, and his mouth twisted into all sorts of odd shapes. Akbar couldn't help but burst into laughter at Birbal's comical expressions.
In one instance, Akbar wanted to test Birbal's wisdom. He asked Birbal to build a palace using only two things - ice and sand. Birbal accepted the challenge. He made a beautiful ice - sand palace by using ice blocks as the main structure and sand to fill the gaps. However, as the sun rose, the ice started to melt. Akbar was about to scold Birbal when Birbal said, 'Your Majesty, this shows that things made with temporary materials are not long - lasting, just like false friendships.' Akbar was impressed with the moral lesson hidden in Birbal's act.
One day, Akbar asked Birbal, 'How many crows are there in my kingdom?' Birbal quickly replied, 'There are 99,465 crows, Your Majesty.' Akbar was puzzled and asked how he knew. Birbal said, 'If there are more, some must be visiting from other kingdoms. If there are less, some must be on a journey.'
Akbar once told Birbal that he wanted to know what the most precious thing in the world was. Birbal thought for a while and said, 'Your Majesty, knowledge is the most precious thing. Because with knowledge, one can gain all other things like wealth, power and respect.' Akbar was very impressed with this answer and rewarded Birbal. This shows how Birbal's wisdom was not only in solving puzzles but also in giving profound thoughts.
One story is that Akbar once asked Birbal how many crows were in his kingdom. Birbal quickly replied, 'There are ninety - five thousand four hundred and sixty - three crows in the kingdom.' When Akbar was surprised and asked how he could be so sure, Birbal said, 'If there are more, then some crows must have come from other kingdoms to visit. If there are less, then some of our crows must be visiting other kingdoms.'
Another story is that Akbar once told Birbal to find a ring that he had lost. Birbal announced in the court that the person who had found the ring would get a big reward. Then he whispered to Akbar, 'Your Majesty, I found the ring.' Akbar was surprised. Birbal explained that by offering a reward, the real thief would be too scared to come forward as he would fear being caught for stealing. And as no one else could have found it, it means it was not really lost but misplaced by Akbar himself.
Another story is that Akbar once drew a line on the floor and asked Birbal to make it shorter without erasing any part of it. Birbal simply drew a longer line beside it. Akbar was confused at first, but then realized that Birbal had made his line seem shorter in comparison.
Akbar and Birbal were walking in the palace grounds. Akbar said, 'Birbal, can you make me a throne out of nothing?' Birbal replied, 'Your Majesty, I can't make a throne out of nothing, but I can make you see a throne where there seems to be nothing.' He then led Akbar to a pool of water and showed Akbar the reflection of the grand throne in the water. Akbar realized Birbal's cleverness once again.
One story is that Akbar once asked Birbal how many crows were in his kingdom. Birbal quickly replied, 'There are ninety - five thousand four hundred and sixty - three crows, Your Majesty.' Akbar was surprised and asked how he could be so sure. Birbal said, 'If Your Majesty finds more crows, then some crows from other kingdoms must have come to visit. If there are fewer, then some of our crows must have gone on a trip to other kingdoms.'