The Scholar’s Challenge
A scholar heard about Birbal's witty reputation, and went to Emperor Akbar’s Court to challenge him. Birbal accepted the scholar’s challenge. Then the scholar asked Birbal, “OK—do you want to answer fifty easy questions, or one difficult question.”
“One difficult question,” Birbal answered.
“OK.” The scholar replied. “What came first? The chicken or the egg?”
Without any hesitation, Birbal confidently responded, “The chicken.”
“How do you know?” asked the scholar.
“We agreed on only one question,” Birbal replied, “so no second question please!”
And Akbar and Birbal left the Palace Court without saying another word to the scholar.
A scholar heard about Birbal's witty reputation, and went to Emperor Akbar’s Court to challenge him. Birbal accepted the scholar’s challenge. Then the scholar asked Birbal, “OK—do you want to answer fifty easy questions, or one difficult question.”
“One difficult question,” Birbal answered.
“OK.” The scholar replied. “What came first? The chicken or the egg?”
Without any hesitation, Birbal confidently responded, “The chicken.”
“How do you know?” asked the scholar.
“We agreed on only one question,” Birbal replied, “so no second question please!”
And Akbar and Birbal left the Palace Court without saying another word to the scholar.