One day, Akbar decided to ask Birbal a difficult question. He asked, “Birbal, what is the difference between a foolish man and a learned man?” Birbal smiled and replied, “Your Majesty! A learned man always uses his brains when he is in a difficult situation. He is always calm and does not lose control.” Akbar asked, “And what does a foolish man do?” Birbal replied, “Your Majesty, a foolish man has no control over difficult situations. He doesn’t use his brains and handles the situation badly. He either spoils the task at hand or makes the situation worse.” Once again, Akbar was impressed with Birbal’s answer. Akbar had thought that Birbal would answer like the other courtiers and say that an uneducated person was foolish, while the one who was educated was learned. Birbal’s answer helped to cement the special relationship that he shared with the Emperor.
The Learned and the Foolish
