Once a Pandit came to Akbar's court and expressed his desire to test the intelligence of his courtiers. Akbar granted the permission, so all his courtiers gathered in the court at the appointed time. The Pandit had a pot covered with a cloth. He asked the courtiers, "What is in the pot?"

Everybody was silent. Nobody knew how to tell the contents of a covered pot. Then Birbal came forward, he uncovered the pot, peeped inside, and said, "There is nothing inside the pot. It is empty."

The Pandit said, "But you opened it." Birbal said, "But you never said not to open it." Pandit understood that he was at mistake. He bowed to the Emperor and walked away.