Chapter 12: The Scholar's Mother Tongue

UNIT 6: Story

The Scholar’s Mother Tongue

Adapted from Akbar and Birbal stories

 

 

The Scholar’s Mother Tongue Story Introduction

‘The Scholar’s Mother Tongue’ is a story adapted from Akbar and Birbal stories. Akbar was a king and Birbal was his smart and clever advisor. This story is about Birbal trying to find out a Pundit’s mother tongue.

 

 

The Scholar’s Mother Tongue Story Summary

 

This story is about a Pundit who had learned and mastered many languages. He came to Akbar’s court and challenged everyone to find out his mother tongue. Everyone failed in the challenge but Birbal found it out by the use of his intelligence and common sense.

This story teaches us that a person only speaks his mother tongue when stuck in a difficult situation. It also shows us how we can win any challenge by applying common sense.

 

 

 

The Scholar’s Mother Tongue Story Explanation

 

One day a learned Pundit visited the court of Akbar. He told the King and his courtiers that he had learned and was fluent in many different languages. The Pundit said that he was so fluent in every language that no one could find out what his mother tongue was.

 

He challenged everybody at the court to find out his mother tongue. Everyone failed, so Birbal decided to take up the challenge. At night, Birbal quietly went to the Pundit’s room when he was asleep. He softly whispered into the Pundit’s ear and then tickled it with a feather.

 

The Pundit was half awake and started shouting in his mother tongue.

 

The next day Birbal went to the court and told everyone that the Pundit’s mother tongue was Telugu. The Pundit was surprised and accepted that Birbal was correct.

 

King Akbar asked Birbal about how he found out the Pundit’s mother tongue.  Birbal told the King about what he did in the Pundit’s room at night. Birbal said that whenever a person is in a difficult or hard situation, he speaks only in his mother tongue and that is how he found out.