Akbar and Birbal - Indian

In a big, shiny palace lived a great Emperor named Akbar. His wise friend was named Birbal, and Birbal was very good at solving puzzles. This is the story of Akbar and Birbal and a tricky line. One sunny day, the Emperor wanted to play a game. He took a piece of white chalk and drew a long, long line on the smooth, dark floor. 'Look at my line!' said the Emperor with a smile. 'Who can make this line shorter? But you cannot touch it or erase it!'.

All the Emperor’s other friends looked at the line. They whispered and thought very hard. 'How can we make it shorter?' they asked. 'It is not possible!'. They looked at the line from one side. They looked at the line from the other side. But no one had an idea. Then, clever Birbal stepped forward with a smile. Everyone watched to see what he would do. He did not touch the Emperor's line. No, he did not. Instead, Birbal picked up his own piece of chalk. He drew a new line right under the Emperor's line. His line was longer, longer, longer!

Now, the Emperor’s line looked so small next to Birbal’s super long one. The Emperor laughed a big, happy laugh. All his friends clapped their hands. Clap, clap, clap! Birbal solved the puzzle in a very smart way. He didn't need to erase anything. He just thought of a new idea. Thinking in new ways is a wonderful way to solve any puzzle, big or small.