“Emperor Akbar had a habit of offering riddles and puzzles to his courtiers. He often asked questions that were strange and witty. It took much wisdom to answer these questions. Once he asked a very strange question. The courtiers looked dumbfounded.
As King Akbar looked around the room, one by one the courier's heads began to hang low in search of an answer. It was at this moment that Birbal entered the courtyard. Birbal who knew the nature of the emperor quickly grasped the situation and asked, “May I know the question so that I can try for an answer”.
King Akbar said, “How many crows are there in this city?”
Without even a moment’s thought, Birbal replied “There are fifty-thousand-five hundred and eighty-nine crows, my lord”.
“How can you be so sure?” asked the king.
Birbal replied, “Make you men count, My lord. If you find more crows it means some have come to visit their relatives here. If you find less number of crows it means some have gone to visit their relatives elsewhere”.
King Akbar began to laugh and was very pleased by Birbal’s wit.
Moral : Even if the question is silly, you can manage the situation by thinking on your feet and giving a witty answer.