There was a time when Akbar was feeling very sad. He called Birbal and said he wanted to see something that could make him laugh immediately. Birbal left and came back after some time with a man who was wearing a strange - looking hat made of pots and pans. The man was also making funny faces. Akbar couldn't help but laugh out loud at this sight. This shows Birbal's ability to understand Akbar's needs and come up with a quick solution.
Akbar regarded Birbal as an important part of his court. Birbal's role was not only to give advice but also to amuse Akbar with his clever stories and solutions. Their relationship was based on mutual respect, with Akbar relying on Birbal's wisdom to make better decisions in various matters.
One famous story is about Akbar asking Birbal how many crows were in the kingdom. Birbal quickly replied that there were 99,999 crows. When Akbar asked how he was so sure, Birbal said if there were more, then some crows from other kingdoms must have come visiting. And if there were less, some of their crows must be on a trip to other kingdoms.
Perhaps the story where Akbar asks Birbal to define a fool. Birbal says a fool is someone who doesn't listen to good advice. Akbar then tests this by asking different people in the court for advice on a matter he already knew the answer to. Those who didn't listen to Birbal's advice were then considered fools, which shows Birbal's influence on Akbar's thinking.
One day, Akbar asked Birbal, 'How many crows are there in my kingdom?' Birbal quickly replied, 'There are ninety - five thousand four hundred and sixty - three crows, Your Majesty.' Akbar was astonished and asked, 'How can you be so sure?' Birbal said, 'If Your Majesty finds more crows, they are visiting from other kingdoms. If there are fewer, some must have gone on a visit to other kingdoms.' Akbar laughed at this clever answer.
The most famous one might be the story about weighing the elephant. Akbar got an elephant as a gift and wanted to know its weight. His wise men were clueless. But Birbal had a brilliant idea. He got a boat, made the elephant stand in it and marked the water level. Then he removed the elephant and filled the boat with stones until the water reached the same mark. Then they weighed the stones and that was the weight of the elephant.
Another very famous story is when Akbar challenges Birbal to spend all the money he gives in one day but also bring back all the items bought at the end of the day. Birbal buys candles with the money. At night, he lights up the whole city with the candles. People are so happy that they give him many gifts. He returns to Akbar with the gifts which he claims are the items bought with the money. This story is popular as it shows Birbal's resourcefulness.
One famous story is when Akbar asked Birbal to build a palace in the air. Birbal didn't seem fazed. He told the king that it would be done but he needed some time. After a while, he told Akbar that the palace was ready but only people who had no greed in their hearts could see it. Akbar, realizing his own greed at times, understood Birbal's point.
I'm not sure exactly. It depends on the specific version of the story you're referring to.
In English literature, the Akbar and Birbal stories are important because they represent a different culture's values of intelligence and diplomacy. They also provide a rich source of material for writers and storytellers. The stories are full of interesting characters and situations that can be adapted and retold in different forms, thus contributing to the diversity of English literature.
Probably the story where Akbar 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, making the first line seem shorter.