There was also a time when Akbar wanted to test Birbal's intelligence. He put a large pot in the middle of the court and asked Birbal to measure its volume without using any measuring tools. Birbal filled the pot with water, and then poured the water into smaller vessels of known volume. By adding up the volumes of the smaller vessels, he was able to tell the volume of the pot.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 was also a story where Akbar wanted to test Birbal's intelligence. He asked Birbal to count the number of crows in the kingdom. Birbal replied that there were 99,999 crows. When Akbar questioned how he could be so sure, Birbal said if there were more, then some crows must have come from other kingdoms as visitors, and if there were less, then some crows must have gone to visit other kingdoms.
Once Akbar and Birbal were walking in the garden. Akbar said, 'Birbal, can you show me a miracle?' Birbal then pointed at a mango tree and said, 'Your Majesty, that tree will bow to you.' As Akbar walked closer, Birbal climbed the tree and bent a branch down. Akbar was amused by Birbal's quick - wittedness.