Counting the Crows

An illustration of Emperor Akbar sitting on his throne, looking puzzled, with Birbal standing in front of him and a cityscape in the background, featuring crows flying overhead. The image should convey the scene where Birbal arrives to answer the tricky question.

Once upon a time, Emperor Akbar asked a tricky question in his court that surprised everyone. While everyone was trying to figure out the answer, Birbal arrived and asked what the problem was.

Akbar repeated the question: “How many crows are there in the city?”

A group illustration featuring Emperor Akbar, Birbal, and several courtiers or guards counting crows in the city. The image should convey the scene where Birbal suggests counting the crows to determine their number. In the center, Akbar is smiling, pleased with Birbal’s solution.

Birbal smiled, went to Akbar, and quickly answered, “There are twenty-one thousand five hundred and twenty-three crows in the city.”

Akbar was amazed! He asked Birbal how he knew. Birbal cleverly replied, “Just ask your men to count the crows. If they find more, it means more crows have come to visit from nearby towns. If they find fewer, it means our city’s crows have gone to visit their relatives in other towns!”

Akbar was very happy with Birbal’s clever answer. He was so pleased that he gave Birbal a beautiful necklace of rubies and pearls and praised his wisdom.

The moral of the story: A good explanation is just as important as the answer itself!

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Crafty Crane and Craftier Crab

Cobra and Crows

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