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.
There was a time when Akbar was not in a good mood. He called Birbal and said, 'Birbal, make me laugh.' Birbal without hesitation started to act like a joker. He made funny faces and told silly jokes. But Akbar remained serious. Then Birbal said, 'Your Majesty, I have failed. But I heard that there is a magical laughter tree in the forest. If you come with me, we can get some of its leaves and when you smell them, you will laugh uncontrollably.' Akbar got curious and started to walk with Birbal. On the way, Birbal kept telling small, interesting stories and finally Akbar started to laugh. This story shows Birbal's creativity in dealing with Akbar's mood.
Akbar once told Birbal that he wanted a palace built in the sky. Birbal thought for a while and then said, 'Your Majesty, we can build a palace on top of the highest mountain. From there, it will seem like it is in the sky. And we can call it the Sky - like Palace.' Akbar was impressed with Birbal's solution. This story not only shows Birbal's intelligence but also his ability to turn an impossible demand into a practical and achievable plan.
One day Akbar asked Birbal, 'How many crows are there in my kingdom?' Birbal quickly replied, 'There are 99,463 crows, Your Majesty.' Akbar was puzzled and asked how he knew. Birbal said, 'If there are more, some crows must be visiting from other kingdoms. If there are less, then some of our crows are visiting other places.'
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.
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.
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.'
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.
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.
Well, Birbal was a very intelligent courtier in Akbar's court. Akbar often tested Birbal's intelligence. One time, Akbar wanted to see if Birbal could really understand the minds of people. So he put a fish in a bowl and asked different courtiers what the fish was thinking. When it was Birbal's turn, he said the fish was missing its home which was the river. His answer was so unique and wise compared to others' silly guesses.
It's full of wit and wisdom. Akbar and Birbal's interactions often involve tricky situations solved with clever thinking.