King's Language

All of us would have read lots of stories in our childhood, of the famous emperor, Akbar and his wise minister Birbal. To be honest even now we cannot (at least I cannot) resist reading through Akbar-Birbal story the moment we come across one. However, you bet the story that I am going to narrate here may not have been read or heard by anyone of you till now.

It so happened that on one fine morning Akbar got up from his bed and almost ran to the palace of his queen to let her know the dream he just woke up from. In the dream he saw a holy saint who sang the praises of Akbar’s mother-tongue and asked him what he did as a king to express the love towards the language he spoke. Akbar really felt guilty after realizing that he had done nothing to show affection towards his beloved language. For the moody king that he was, at that very moment Akbar proclaimed that each and every citizen of his kingdom should speak only the King's language, no matter where he or she hailed from. And there was severe punishment for those who did not follow the King's order.

Obviously those who could not speak Akbar’s language were horrified with this new ordinance and as in any other story, as a last resort they approached Birbal for a remedy. Birbal merrily accepted the challenge.

The following Sunday Birbal insisted that he accompanied the King when the King was out for hunting in the nearby jungle. As the King was busy hunting, Birbal talks to the King, “Sir, all these animals in this jungle except the lion – the king, have no right to live here.” “But why Birbal?”, the king astonishingly asks. Birbal adds, “My Lord, the monkey, the elephant, the deer, the fox, the wolf, no one roars like the lion, their own king. They don’t speak their king’s language it seems.”

Now, Akbar thoroughly puzzled at Birbal’s answer turns to him and asks, “Birbal are you mad. How can all the animals speak the lion’s language? God has given each one of them their own language and its stupid on your part to expect everyone to roar the way lion does or speak his language, even though he is their king.”

It was now Birbal’s turn. He gives an innocent look at the King and continues, “Sir, these animals do not know the simple rule of the kingdom that no matter what their original language is still they should speak only the king’s language. And since these animals do not know this simple rule, they deserve to be kicked out of this jungle.”

The King was wise enough to read between Birbal’s lines and to catch the hint that Birbal was aiming at. He immediately abandons his hunting trip and heads back to the kingdom to announce withdrawal of his language-ordinance, apologize to his fellow citizens and also to give a pat on Birbal’s back for once again proving his worth in the entire council of ministers.