Birbal’s Simple Solution to Akbar’s Dilemma

Once, the King of Persia sent Emperor Akbar an intriguing letter. It contained a perplexing question: “How many turns are there on every road in your kingdom?”

Akbar was bewildered. His vast empire spanned numerous cities and villages, making it impossible to count every road’s turns. Yet, as a ruler who took pride in his kingdom’s greatness, Akbar felt compelled to answer. He summoned his finance minister, Todarmal, and tasked him with the seemingly impossible job of counting the turns of every road.

Todarmal, loyal and diligent, sent out his men to survey the roads. Meanwhile, the court buzzed with speculation about the strange challenge from Persia.

Birbal’s Laughter

The next day, Birbal noticed Akbar sitting in deep thought. Curious, he asked, “Your Majesty, is something troubling you?”

Akbar explained the challenge from the Persian King and how he had tasked Todarmal with counting the road turns. Hearing this, Birbal burst into laughter.

Startled by his reaction, Akbar asked, “Why are you laughing, Birbal? Do you have an answer?”

Birbal nodded confidently. “Not only can I tell you the exact number of turns in your kingdom, but I can also tell you the count for any city or country in the world.”

Akbar’s eyes widened in surprise. “Are you serious? My men are out counting every turn, and you claim to already know the answer?”

The Simple Answer

Birbal replied with a smile, “Your Majesty, I assure you, I’m not joking. Every road in the world has only two kinds of turns—right and left.”

The court erupted in laughter as the simplicity of Birbal’s answer sank in. Akbar, too, couldn’t help but laugh heartily. “It’s such an obvious answer, yet I never thought of it!”

A Lesson in Wisdom

Pleased with Birbal’s wit, Akbar rewarded him with a beautiful gift and instructed his royal scribe to send the clever response to the King of Persia.

Moral of the Story:

Complex problems often have simple solutions. Sometimes, all it takes is a little creativity to see things differently.

This humorous tale highlights Birbal’s brilliance and reminds us that wisdom isn’t always about finding complex answers but recognizing the simplicity in life’s challenges.