Kids can learn about wisdom. Birbal was very wise and always found smart solutions to difficult problems. For instance, in various situations, he used his intelligence to answer Akbar's tricky questions.
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.
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.
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.
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.
One of the best Akbar Birbal stories is about the 'wise judgment'. A merchant and a poor man were arguing over a purse. Akbar asked Birbal to solve it. Birbal dipped his hand into the purse and said the merchant who claimed it was new must be lying as his hand got a coin with an old design. This shows Birbal's quick thinking.
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.
There are several authors who have written Akbar Birbal stories in Hindi. It's hard to pinpoint a single one as it varies depending on different collections and publications.
A third story in Marathi tradition is about Akbar testing Birbal's wisdom regarding the most precious thing. Akbar assembled his courtiers and asked what was the most precious thing in the world. Courtiers gave various answers like gold, diamonds etc. But Birbal said 'Wisdom is the most precious thing'. Akbar was intrigued and asked why. Birbal said that with wisdom one can acquire all other things like gold and diamonds, but without wisdom, even if one has all the wealth, they may lose it due to bad decisions. This story highlights Birbal's profound understanding of values.