I think the story about Birbal and the talking bird is really engaging. A merchant claimed to have a talking bird that could answer any question. Akbar was intrigued and called the merchant to the court. The bird remained silent. Akbar was about to punish the merchant for lying when Birbal intervened. He said that the bird was used to the forest's quiet and was shy in the noisy court. He suggested taking the bird to a quiet garden. When they did so, Birbal secretly told the bird some answers. When Akbar asked questions again, the bird replied. Akbar was delighted and Birbal saved the merchant. It shows Birbal's resourcefulness.
One of the most interesting Birbal stories is when Akbar wanted to test Birbal's loyalty. He spread a rumor that Birbal was a traitor. All the courtiers started treating Birbal badly. But Birbal remained calm. Akbar then asked Birbal why he didn't try to prove his innocence. Birbal said that if his king believed the rumors, then no amount of proof would matter. Akbar was impressed by his loyalty and revealed that it was a test. This story shows Birbal's unwavering loyalty and his understanding of the relationship between a king and his courtier.
In one story, Akbar asked Birbal to count the number of stars in the sky at night. Birbal replied, 'The same number as the hairs on your Majesty's horse.' Akbar was astonished and asked how he could say such a thing. Birbal said, 'Just as it is impossible to count the hairs on your horse, it is also impossible to count the stars in the sky, so I gave a similar answer.' This shows Birbal's quick thinking and ability to handle difficult questions smartly.
Well, there's a story where Akbar asked Birbal to draw a line on the floor and make it shorter without erasing it. Birbal simply drew a longer line next to it. This shows Birbal's cleverness. It was a simple yet brilliant solution to Akbar's tricky question.
In one story, Akbar was angry with Birbal and sent him away. But soon he realized he couldn't do without Birbal's wisdom. He then set a condition for Birbal's return. He said Birbal had to bring a gift that could make him both laugh and cry at the same time. Birbal brought a group of dancers who were all dwarfs. Akbar laughed at their funny appearance but cried because they were physically different and he felt sorry for them.
Perhaps the most famous story is when Akbar set up a test for his courtiers. He placed a line on the floor and asked them to make it shorter without touching it. All the courtiers were stumped. But Birbal simply drew a longer line beside it. By comparison, the original line looked shorter. This shows Birbal's out - of - the - box thinking.
The story of the line on the floor. Akbar drew a line on the floor and asked Birbal to make it shorter without erasing it. Birbal simply drew a longer line beside it. This showed his great intelligence in solving problems in a creative way.
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 really interesting story is when Akbar and Birbal were walking in the garden. Akbar asked Birbal, 'Can you show me a miracle?' Birbal picked up a small pebble and threw it into the pond. He said, 'Look, the pebble made the water rise without any effort.' Akbar laughed at this simple yet clever answer.
A funny story is when Akbar asked Birbal to find a man who was both the smartest and the dumbest in the kingdom. Birbal went and brought a man. Akbar was puzzled. Birbal said, 'This man is the smartest when he keeps his mouth shut, for then no one can tell if he is stupid. And he is the dumbest when he starts to talk, as he often says foolish things.'
In another instance, Akbar received some precious mangoes as a gift. He wanted to share them among his courtiers but in a fair way. He asked Birbal for a solution. Birbal got some clay pots and put one mango in one pot and filled the rest of the pots with water. Then he shuffled the pots. He said that each courtier could choose a pot. If they got the pot with the mango, it was their lucky day. If not, they still got water which was also precious. This way Birbal managed to distribute the mangoes in a fun and fair manner.
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.