In another story, Akbar asked Birbal to find the most precious thing in the world. Birbal brought a child. He explained that a child is the most precious as it is full of innocence, potential and is the future. This simple yet profound answer impressed Akbar.
One famous Akbar Birbal story is about the 'Three Questions'. Akbar wanted to test Birbal's wisdom. He asked three difficult questions. Birbal cleverly answered them all. For example, to the question of how many stars were in the sky, Birbal replied that as many as there were hairs on the emperor's beard, which was a smart way to show respect and dodge a difficult answer at the same time.
There is also a story where Akbar lost his ring in the garden. He asked Birbal to find it. Birbal announced that the ring was with someone who had a long nose. Everyone in the court started looking at each other. Then Birbal said that the only person with a long nose in the court was Akbar himself as he was the king and his nose was like the trunk of an elephant in terms of importance. And Akbar found the ring on his own finger.
There is a story where Akbar wanted to test Birbal's wisdom. He put a long stick in a well and asked Birbal to measure the length of the stick without taking it out. Birbal simply measured the length of the part of the stick outside the well and then calculated the total length using the depth of the well. In another instance, Akbar was feeling sad and asked Birbal to make him laugh. Birbal told a very funny story about a king who tried to ride a donkey backwards and ended up falling into a pond. Akbar couldn't help but laugh.
One famous Akbar Birbal story is about the 'Three Questions'. Akbar wanted to test Birbal's wisdom. He asked three questions: What is the most precious thing in the world? Who is the most intelligent person? What is the best time? Birbal replied that knowledge is the most precious, the one who learns from everyone is the most intelligent, and the present moment is the best time. His answers impressed Akbar greatly.
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.'
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.
One story could be about Birbal using his wit to solve a mystery in the court. Maybe there was a theft in the palace and everyone was suspect. Birbal, with his sharp mind, noticed small details like footprints and the direction from which the thief might have entered. He then set a clever trap by leaving out some valuable items in an open but guarded place. The thief, thinking he could outsmart Birbal, fell right into the trap.
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.
Akbar and Birbal had a story where Akbar drew a line on the floor and challenged Birbal to make it shorter without erasing it. Birbal simply drew a longer line beside it. By comparison, the first line looked shorter. This shows Birbal's cleverness in solving problems in an unconventional way.