The Royal Cock

Birbal was in confusion for sometime. Slowly he realized that it was a trick aimed at playing on him by Akbar to hoodwink him. But there was no other option than to stand this acid test.

At the sounding of bells, the contest started; one by one, the ministers left for the pond, and came out with an egg each on hand. Birbal's turn came. There was a flash in his mind. He rushed into the garden pond and dived. Unlike his other ministers, he brought no egg.

Birbal surfaced the water crowing like a cock and kept on crowing as he came back:

Cock-a-doodle-doo, cock-a-doodle-doo"

That horrible cry almost tore the assembly hall.

Akbar felt annoyed at this renting, along with all the members in the assembly.

"Stop cracking like a cock, and show me your egg."

Birbal stopped his cocking and coolly said in the following words:

"Jahapana, only hens lay eggs. But I am a cock and I can't produce any egg."