Tit Bits?
Akbar's court was famous for the witty question answer sessions. On one such occasion - Akbar asked his courtiers whether they could tell the difference between the truth and the false within three words. All courtiers got busy in finding out the three words or less to tell the difference between the truth and the false. However, enough time passed and they could not tell.
"What about you, Birbal?" "His Majesty!" Birbal looked around and replied, "Four fingers" The King got surprised and asked him, "How, Birbal?" "Yes, Your Majesty, this is the difference between truth and false. Because what your eyes see is truth, and what your ears hear, more often than not, may be false."
"That is right, but then why do you say "four fingers"?" Akbar said. Birbal bowed a little and said, "Because Your Majesty, only four fingers is the distance between ear and eyes." Akbar was very astonished to hear this reply.
On another occasion - Akbar drew a line on the floor and asked his courtiers to shorten it without touching it. No courtier could do it. The Birbal came forward and drew another longer line beside it. Now the King's line was shorter than Birbal's line.
On another occasion, Akbar asked what that thing which sun and moon cannot see is but others can see. As usual his courtiers could not get a even a clue. Then Birbal said, "Darkness, Huzoor."
A Little Lesser and a Little More
One-day Birbal's five-year old daughter accompanied him to the Royal Court. When Akbar saw her, it just came to his mind that he should test her wits whether she had the same type of wits as her father had.
He started talking to her. "Do you know Persian, O little girl?" "A little lesser and a little more, Sir" The girl replied. Birbal smiled on her reply, but Akbar could not understand it, so he asked Birbal to explain this.
Birbal said, "She knows Persian a little more than those who do not know Persian, and knows a little lesser than those who know Persian well."
Akbar understood that she had the same wits as her father.
Birbal's Beautiful Explanation
One day the Emperor Akbar saw a woman hugging and kissing a very dark, ugly and unattractive child. He was very surprised to see that. He thought and thought but could not think why? He asked Birbal that why she was doing that to such an unattractive child. Birbal replied innocently, "Huzoor, he must have been her own child. For every mother her own child is the most beautiful child in the world."
The Emperor did not seem to be convinced with this explanation, and Birbal had guessed this from the Emperor's face. Next day, in the presence of the Emperor, Birbal ordered a Guard to present the most beautiful child in the world in the court. Next day, the Guard brought a more unattractive and ugly child with buckteeth and his hair stood like a porcupine and presented to the Emperor. "This is the most beautiful child in the world, your majesty," the Guard stammered.
The Emperor asked, "How do you know that he is the most beautiful child in the world?" "Your Majesty, I went home and posed my problem to my wife. She told me to bring our child to the court." the Guard replied meekly.
Mullah’s Flattering Answer
One day, the Mullah Nasruddin was going back after having an audience with the Emperor that his one coin fell down from his pocket. It was the only money he had at that time so he started immediately looking for it. Muraad, who was his one of his bitterest enemies at the court, said, "See Your Majesty, how miser he is? You have bestowed so much money on him; still he is after a copper coin."
Mullah said quickly, "It is not because of the value of the coin, Your Majesty that I am looking for it. I am looking for it because one side of that coin bears your resemblance, and I don't want people trampling on it."
Sultan was so pleased to hear this reply that he pulled off his diamond ring from his finger and gave it to the Mullah.
The Mullah Uses His Head
One time it happened so that the Mullah Nasruddin displeasured the Sultan, so the Sultan asked one of his men to slay him and bring him his head.
The Mullah was very upset with this. He went to Birbal and asked him how to save himself. Birbal said, "It is a difficult situation but let me try. Rest is your luck." In addition, he told him how to act.
The Mullah, however, could persuade the man to take him alive to the court. Sultan was very furious seeing Mullah alive in his court. He asked the soldier, "Didn't I tell you to bring Mullah’s head to the Court, not the Mullah himself?" The Mullah Nasruddin said politely, "It is not his fault, Huzoor. I asked him to do so. You know whenever you want anything done; I do not trust anybody else lest it is badly done. Therefore, I thought let me do it myself. Therefore, I decided to bring my head myself on my shoulder. My head is here, Huzoor."
Akbar was very pleased with this defense that he allowed Mullah to keep his head on his shoulder.
Akbar's court was famous for the witty question answer sessions. On one such occasion - Akbar asked his courtiers whether they could tell the difference between the truth and the false within three words. All courtiers got busy in finding out the three words or less to tell the difference between the truth and the false. However, enough time passed and they could not tell.
"What about you, Birbal?" "His Majesty!" Birbal looked around and replied, "Four fingers" The King got surprised and asked him, "How, Birbal?" "Yes, Your Majesty, this is the difference between truth and false. Because what your eyes see is truth, and what your ears hear, more often than not, may be false."
"That is right, but then why do you say "four fingers"?" Akbar said. Birbal bowed a little and said, "Because Your Majesty, only four fingers is the distance between ear and eyes." Akbar was very astonished to hear this reply.
On another occasion - Akbar drew a line on the floor and asked his courtiers to shorten it without touching it. No courtier could do it. The Birbal came forward and drew another longer line beside it. Now the King's line was shorter than Birbal's line.
On another occasion, Akbar asked what that thing which sun and moon cannot see is but others can see. As usual his courtiers could not get a even a clue. Then Birbal said, "Darkness, Huzoor."
A Little Lesser and a Little More
One-day Birbal's five-year old daughter accompanied him to the Royal Court. When Akbar saw her, it just came to his mind that he should test her wits whether she had the same type of wits as her father had.
He started talking to her. "Do you know Persian, O little girl?" "A little lesser and a little more, Sir" The girl replied. Birbal smiled on her reply, but Akbar could not understand it, so he asked Birbal to explain this.
Birbal said, "She knows Persian a little more than those who do not know Persian, and knows a little lesser than those who know Persian well."
Akbar understood that she had the same wits as her father.
Birbal's Beautiful Explanation
One day the Emperor Akbar saw a woman hugging and kissing a very dark, ugly and unattractive child. He was very surprised to see that. He thought and thought but could not think why? He asked Birbal that why she was doing that to such an unattractive child. Birbal replied innocently, "Huzoor, he must have been her own child. For every mother her own child is the most beautiful child in the world."
The Emperor did not seem to be convinced with this explanation, and Birbal had guessed this from the Emperor's face. Next day, in the presence of the Emperor, Birbal ordered a Guard to present the most beautiful child in the world in the court. Next day, the Guard brought a more unattractive and ugly child with buckteeth and his hair stood like a porcupine and presented to the Emperor. "This is the most beautiful child in the world, your majesty," the Guard stammered.
The Emperor asked, "How do you know that he is the most beautiful child in the world?" "Your Majesty, I went home and posed my problem to my wife. She told me to bring our child to the court." the Guard replied meekly.
Mullah’s Flattering Answer
One day, the Mullah Nasruddin was going back after having an audience with the Emperor that his one coin fell down from his pocket. It was the only money he had at that time so he started immediately looking for it. Muraad, who was his one of his bitterest enemies at the court, said, "See Your Majesty, how miser he is? You have bestowed so much money on him; still he is after a copper coin."
Mullah said quickly, "It is not because of the value of the coin, Your Majesty that I am looking for it. I am looking for it because one side of that coin bears your resemblance, and I don't want people trampling on it."
Sultan was so pleased to hear this reply that he pulled off his diamond ring from his finger and gave it to the Mullah.
The Mullah Uses His Head
One time it happened so that the Mullah Nasruddin displeasured the Sultan, so the Sultan asked one of his men to slay him and bring him his head.
The Mullah was very upset with this. He went to Birbal and asked him how to save himself. Birbal said, "It is a difficult situation but let me try. Rest is your luck." In addition, he told him how to act.
The Mullah, however, could persuade the man to take him alive to the court. Sultan was very furious seeing Mullah alive in his court. He asked the soldier, "Didn't I tell you to bring Mullah’s head to the Court, not the Mullah himself?" The Mullah Nasruddin said politely, "It is not his fault, Huzoor. I asked him to do so. You know whenever you want anything done; I do not trust anybody else lest it is badly done. Therefore, I thought let me do it myself. Therefore, I decided to bring my head myself on my shoulder. My head is here, Huzoor."
Akbar was very pleased with this defense that he allowed Mullah to keep his head on his shoulder.
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