Birbal The Wise!

Emperor Akbar once ruled over India. He was a wise and intelligent ruler, and he had in his court the Nine Gems, his nine advisors, who were each known for a particular skill. One of these Gems was Birbal, known for his wit and wisdom. 

The story below is one of the examples of his wit. Do you have it for you to find out the answer? 

A farmer and his neighbor once went to Emperor Akbar"s court with a complaint. "Your Majesty, I bought a well from him," said the farmer pointing to his neighbor, "and now he wants me to pay for the water." "That"s right, your Majesty," said the neighbor. "I sold him the well but not the water!" The Emperor asked Birbal to settle the dispute. 

Now it's very difficult to think what Birbal had in his mind at that time. Still you can give a try. How did Birbal solve the dispute? 

Read here how Birbal rescued the farmer! 

Source 

Justice WIth The Farmer

What's the story behind the title? 

"So you have sold the well to the farmer but not the water?" Birbal asked the neighbor. 

"Do you agree that owner of well is the farmer & you are owner of water?" Birbal asks further.

"Exactly!", neighbor replied.

Birbal now points towards the valid question - "So you need to pay rent for keeping your water in his well, or take out all of the water out of well. Don't you?"

By now the neighbor realized that he was outwitted. He had no option other than to apologize & take back his claim.

"Make The Line Shorter!"

Once a teacher asked student the question that Akbar once has asked to Birbal. Teacher drawn a line on a paper with pencil & posted paper on a board. He asked students to make the line shorter without erasing by eraser or extending it with pencil.

One of the student who knew that story of Akbar - Birbal came & just draws another bigger line ahead of previous line. Now the other line looked shorter.

   
Now teacher decides to trick the students. 'Now without touching any line it make left line longer & right line shorter', he asks further.

The student was smart & just rotated the paper upside down. That way, now left line looked longer & right one shorter!