Akbar's court had a famous artist. The artist was commissioned to paint a portrait of Akbar. However, the artist was a perfectionist and took a long time. Akbar's courtiers started to get impatient. But Akbar was patient. He supported the artist. When the portrait was finally completed, it was a masterpiece. This short story about Akbar shows his understanding and support for the arts in his court.
In Akbar's court, there was a very clever jester. One day, the jester made a riddle that no one in the court could solve. Akbar was intrigued. He gave everyone in the court a day to think about it. But still, no one could come up with an answer. Akbar then used his own wit and solved the riddle, much to the amazement of his courtiers. This story shows Akbar's sharp mind even in the midst of courtly amusements.
Well, start by skimming through the court decision to get an overall idea. Then, break it down into smaller sections. When doing short story reading of it, focus on the narrative elements. For example, the setting could be the courtroom or the events that led to the legal situation. Pay attention to the language used, as legal language can be complex but often hides a clear story.
Birbal was special because of his great intelligence. He could answer Akbar's difficult and tricky questions with ease. For example, when Akbar asked him to find a person who was both a liar and a truth - teller, Birbal managed to come up with a clever solution.
Another moral is the value of wisdom over brute strength or simple facts. In many stories, Birbal uses his wisdom to solve problems that seem impossible at first. For example, when he was asked to find the most precious thing, his answer was not a material object but the intangible concept of friendship which is of great value. It teaches us to look beyond the obvious and find deeper meanings.
One moral could be about the power of quick thinking. In many stories, Birbal has to think on his feet to answer Akbar's difficult questions, like in the story about the number of crows. It shows that being able to think fast can get you out of tricky situations.
Another story is about Akbar's love for art and culture. He invited many scholars, poets and artists to his court. Under his patronage, great works of literature, architecture and art were created. His court was a hub of creativity where different ideas and cultures mingled, which had a profound impact on the development of Indian culture during his reign.
Akbar was a very inquisitive ruler. In a short story, Akbar heard about a mysterious sage in his kingdom. He decided to visit the sage himself. When he met the sage, Akbar was impressed by the simple yet profound wisdom the sage possessed. The sage told Akbar stories of life, love, and the importance of harmony among his subjects. Akbar took these lessons to heart and implemented policies in his kingdom to promote better relationships among his people.
The short story 'Clemency of the Court' is likely about a situation related to mercy or leniency within a legal context.
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.
For me, the most interesting part is Birbal's clever solutions. Like when Akbar asked him to measure the length and breadth of the earth without using any tools. Birbal simply said that all Akbar had to do was to measure the length and breadth of his own thoughts as Akbar was the king and his thoughts were as vast as the earth. It shows Birbal's quick thinking and his ability to turn a seemingly impossible situation into a compliment for the king.
One day, Akbar asked Birbal, 'How many crows are there in my kingdom?' Birbal quickly replied, 'There are 99,463 crows in the kingdom.' Akbar was surprised and said, 'How can you be so sure?' Birbal said, 'If there are more, then some crows must be visiting from other kingdoms. If there are less, then some of our crows must be visiting other places.'