Text Short Story Telling Three Questions King Akbar and Birbal
King Akbar was
very fond of Birbal. This made a certain courtier very jealous. Now this
courtier always wanted to be chief minister, but this was not possible as
Birbal filled that position. One day Akbar praised Birbal in front of the
courtier. This made the courtier very angry and he said that the king praised
Birbal unjustly and if Birbal could answer three of his questions, he would
accept the fact that Birbal was intelligent. Akbar always wanting to test
Birbals wit readily agreed.
The three
questions were
1. How many
stars are there in the sky ?
2. Where is the
centre of the Earth ?
3. And how many men
and how many women are there in the world ?
Immediately
Akbar asked Birbal the three questions and informed him that if he could not
answer them, he would have to resign as chief minister.
To answer the
first question, Birbal brought a hairy sheep and said, “There are as many stars
in the sky as there is hair on the sheep’s body. My friend the courtier is
welcome to count them if he likes.”
To answer the
second question, Birbal drew a couple of lines on the floor and bore an iron
rod in it and said, “this is the center of the Earth, the courtier may measure
it himself if he has any doubts.”
In answer to
the third question, Birbal said, “Counting the exact number of men and women in
the world would be a problem as there are some specimens like our courtier
friend here who cannot easily be classified as either. Therefore if all people
like him are killed, then and only then can one count the exact number.”
