Available Answers

1. 1.

   The courtiers looked uneasily at one another as Birbal walked over to the pot and bent down to examine it.

   1. Who had brought the pot? What had brought that person to the court of Emperor Akbar?
   2. Who were the courtiers who tried to guess what was in the pot? What did each one have to say about it?
   3. How did Birbal reveal the contents of the pot?
2. 2.

   'These are profound questions. Your honour', he said.

   1. Who is the speaker here?
   2. What were the 'profound questions'?
   3. How long did the speaker take to answer the questions?
3. 3.

   'Thanks to your first question', he said 'we have made a stupendous discovery.'

   1. Who said these words and to whom? What was the first question?
   2. How did the speaker answer the first question?
   3. What did he invite the person he was addressing to do?
   4. Do you think the speaker really made a 'stupendous discovery'? Why/why not?
4. 4.

   What was so clever about each of Birbal's answers?

5. 5.

   What details of the Mughal court do you learn from this story?

6. 6.

   In your opinion, why did the envoy ask such difficult questions?