Question for a Question

One day Akbar asked Birbal, "Birbal, can you tell me how many bangles are on your wife's hand?" Birbal said, "No, Your Majesty, I cannot." "You cannot? Although you see her hand every day, still you cannot tell how many bangles are on her hand? How is that?" said Akbar.

How many crows are there in Delhi?

One day Emperor Akbar questioned his courtiers, “How many crows are there in Delhi?” No one could reply his question. Meanwhile Birbal also came to the palace. Emperor Akbar then quickly questioned him, “How many crows are there in Delhi?” As soon as he heard the question without thinking anything Birbal replied, “Your Majesty! Altogether there are thirty thousand nine hundred and eighty crows in at this moment.”

The Romance of a Busy Broker

Pitcher, a personal clerk in the office of Harvey Maxwell, broker, looked with mild interest and surprise when his employer entered at half past nine in the company with his young lady secretary. With a quick “Good Morning, Pitcher,” Maxwell dashed towards his desk as though he were going to jump over it, and then plunged into the great heap of letters and telegrams waiting for him.

Birbal Identified the Thief

During the rule of Emperor Akbar, one day a bag full of money got stolen from a rich merchant’s house in Delhi. The merchant was sure that the thief is none other than one from his servants, but how hard he tried he couldn’t pinpoint who the real thief was. So, he went to the witty Birbal’s court and told everything about the event and also told that he had suspected one of his servants and asked him to identify the thief. To such request of the merchant, Birbal said, “It will be done as you say. Bring all your servants to me tomorrow,” and asked him to leave.

Whom Does the Mango Tree Belong to?

One day a farmer came to the Birbal’s court and asked for help- ‘Your Majesty! I had planted a mango tree outside the city, and have been caring it for 7 years. Now it has begun to bear flowers and fruits. Seeing this, my neighbor, Ramu wants to take over the tree. Your Majesty! Please, do something?’ Birbal asked him to leave at the moment but return tomorrow.

Mr. Traver’s First Hunt

Young Travers, who was going to marry a woman on Long Island, met her father and brother only a few days before the weeding. The father and brother were both very interested in horses. They owned many fine horses, and they liked nothing better than to talk about horses all day long and every evening. Mr. Paddock, the father, had often said that when a young man asked for his permission to marry his daughter, he would ask the man in return, not if he lived straight, but if he could ride straight. And if the young man answered yes to this question, then he would receive the father’s permission to marry the woman.

The Brave Little Parrot

Once, long ago, the Buddha was born as a little parrot. One day a storm fell upon his forest home. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed, and a dead tree, struck by lightning, burst into flames. Sparks leapt on the wind and soon the forest was ablaze. Terrified animals ran wildly in all directions, seeking safety from flames and smoke.

The Happy Prince

The statue of the Happy Prince stood high above the city. It was covered all over within the leaves of gold. For the eyes it had two blue jewels, and there was a large red jewel on the top of his sword.

Everyone thought that it was very beautiful.

“Why can’t you be like the Happy Prince?” mothers said to their little boys when they cried.

Called to the Rescue

A young man from Cambridge University, Mr. D- had been studying during the summer at the quiet little town of Exmouth. At this place, as many readers know, the river Exe is crossed by a ferry, which brings passengers near the Starcross station on the Great Western Railway. For this purpose a boat remains ready from sunrise till sunset.

The Treasure Hunt

The school was closed for summer. Tom and Huck met at the same place. It was the end of the village street and the beginning of the forest. Here they played many games; and when they were tired out, they sat down under the shade of the tree and talked. One evening they made up their minds to hunt for a hidden treasure. They had learnt that hidden treasures lay buried at the foot of big, old trees, or in broken-down houses which were haunted by ghosts or spirits.

Birbal goes to Heaven

Birbal was a minister of Akbar the Great who was the emperor of India. He was a very clever man and Akbar was very fond of him. The courtiers could see the emperor walking along the palace gardens with his hand on the shoulders of his minister. Such intimacy and trust on the part of the emperor in Birbal roused jealousy of the court nobles. One day they all got together to find a way to ruin Birbal. After a long time they hit upon a bold plan which they were sure would bring death to their enemy and future glory to them. The man who proposed the devilish plan was Ali who was another minister in the court of Akbar.

Jack One – Step

A boy named Jack was on his way to school, when he heard a tapping noise coming from an old log. He bent down and put his ear to the log. Sure enough, it sounded as if there was something inside it. And then he heard a tiny voice calling out: “Help! Please help!”

“Who’s that?” asked Jack.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Once upon a time in a far away land lived a King, Queen and their beautiful daughter, Snow White. The princess was given that name because her skin was white and soft as driven snow. The king was a very good and kind ruler. The queen too was loved by all their subjects and Snow White was the apple of every one’s eye. She was such a beautiful girl that everybody in the kingdom loved her.

The Prince and the Judge

An Arab prince had heard that in a certain town there was a judge who was very clever in discovering the truth. The Prince wished to test the ability of the judge personally, and so he disguised himself as a merchant and set out for the town on his horse.

Near the town where the judge lived, a beggar came up to the prince and asked him for money. The prince gave him some money, but as he was about to continue on his way the beggar stopped him again.