King Akbar was very fond of Birbal. But a courtier was very jealous of Birbal. One day, Akbar praised Birbal in front of the courtier. This made the courtier very angry and he said to the king, “If Birbal answers two of my questions I will accept the fact that Birbal is intelligent.” King Akbar, always wanting to test Birbal’s wit, readily agreed. The courtier asked the questions, “How many stars are there in the sky? Where is the centre of the earth?” Birbal replied, “There are as many stars in the sky as there is hair on the sheep’s body. You can count them if you like.” To answer the second question, Birbal drew a couple of lines on the floor and bore an iron rod between them and said, “This is the centre of the earth. The courtier may measure it himself if he has any doubts.” The courtier accepted his defeat.
Moral: Never challenge the wise.
The Two Questions
