One fine day, Akbar, accompanied by his two sons and his clever Minister Birbal, went to the river to take a bath.
They asked Birbal to hold their clothes while they were bathing and took off their clothes and stepped into the river.
Birbal stood at the bank of the river, waiting for them, with their clothes on his shoulder. Looking at Birbal standing like this, Akbar felt like teasing him and remarked that Birbal looked like a washerman’s donkey with a load of clothes.
Birbal quickly retorted that he was carrying the load of not just one donkey, but actually three.
The emperor was speechless.