How Many Crows Are in the City
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During a leisurely walk through the palace gardens one morning, Emperor Akbar turned to Birbal with a strange and seemingly impossible question, asking exactly how many crows lived within the city walls at that very moment. The other courtiers exchanged amused glances, certain that no one could possibly know the answer to such a question, expecting Birbal to admit defeat for once. Birbal, however, answered immediately and confidently, declaring that there were exactly ninety-five thousand, four hundred and sixty-three crows living in the city. Akbar, surprised by such a precise number, asked how he could possibly be so certain of an exact count. Birbal calmly suggested that if the emperor doubted him, his men were welcome to go out and count every crow themselves to verify the number. He added that if they found more crows than his stated number, it simply meant relatives of the city crows were visiting from nearby towns. If they found fewer, it meant some city crows had gone traveling to visit relatives elsewhere. Either way, his answer would remain technically correct under any circumstance. Akbar burst into laughter at the clever response, recognizing that Birbal had given an answer impossible to disprove while still appearing to take the bizarre question completely seriously, and the court applauded his wit once again.
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During a leisurely walk through the palace gardens one morning, Emperor Akbar turned to Birbal with a strange and seemingly impossible question, asking exactly how many crows lived within the city walls at that very moment. The other courtiers exchanged amused glances, certain that no one could possibly know the answer to such a question, expecting Birbal to admit defeat for once. Birbal, however, answered immediately and confidently, declaring that there were exactly ninety-five thousand, four hundred and sixty-three crows living in the city. Akbar, surprised by such a precise number, asked how he could possibly be so certain of an exact count. Birbal calmly suggested that if the emperor doubted him, his men were welcome to go out and count every crow themselves to verify the number. He added that if they found more crows than his stated number, it simply meant relatives of the city crows were visiting from nearby towns. If they found fewer, it meant some city crows had gone traveling to visit relatives elsewhere. Either way, his answer would remain technically correct under any circumstance. Akbar burst into laughter at the clever response, recognizing that Birbal had given an answer impossible to disprove while still appearing to take the bizarre question completely seriously, and the court applauded his wit once again.
