A well - known story is when Akbar asked Birbal to count the stars in the sky. Birbal replied that he would do so if Akbar could first provide him with a large piece of paper as big as the sky to write down the count. This showed his ability to turn a difficult question back on the asker in a humorous way.
One more famous story is about the two jars. Akbar put Birbal in a room with two jars, one filled with milk and the other with water. He told Birbal to find which was which without tasting or using any tools. Birbal just tipped one jar slightly. The one that made a different sound was the water jar as water moves more freely than milk. His astute solution was typical of his intelligence.
The story of the ring is also well - known. Akbar lost his precious ring and suspected his servants. Birbal came up with a plan. He announced that the person who stole the ring would have a long nose. All the servants were made to pass in front of a mirror. The thief, fearing that his nose would actually grow long, confessed. Birbal's clever plan saved the day.
A well - known story is about a haunted well. People said a ghost lived in it. Akbar sent Birbal. Birbal dropped a stone in the well and then said that the 'ghost' must have run away because of the noise. In fact, he just showed that there was no real ghost but just superstition.
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.
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.
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.'
The Akbar and Birbal short stories also imply that wisdom is more powerful than brute force. Birbal didn't use any physical strength or coercion to achieve his goals. Instead, he relied on his intelligence, quick thinking, and understanding of human nature, like when he found the ring by outsmarting the thief.
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.