Chapter 6 of 10
Chapter 6: Hiawatha & The Scholar's Mother Tongue
Poem by H.W. Longfellow on Nature Lore & Mughal Court Tale of Birbal Discovering Mother Tongue | CBSE Session 2026–27
Core Pedagogical Competencies & Concepts
- Poem 'Hiawatha': The young Native American boy raised by grandmother Nokomis who learned the language of all birds and animals.
- Calling birds 'Hiawatha's Chickens' and beasts 'Hiawatha's Brothers'.
- Story 'The Scholar's Mother Tongue': A learned pundit challenges Akbar's courtiers to identify his mother tongue.
- Birbal's nocturnal trick: Whispering and tickling the pundit's ear with a dry grass straw during deep sleep.
- The psychological truth: In moments of sudden fright or emergency, a person always speaks their true mother tongue.
All Textbook Exercises & In-Text Tasks (14 Questions)
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Q1
Reading is Fun • Poem 'Hiawatha'
Who was Hiawatha, and what wonderful secrets did he learn from the birds and animals of the forest?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Hiawatha was a young Native American boy who lived with his wise grandmother Nokomis in a forest wigwam.
He learned all the intimate secrets of the wilderness:
1. How the birds built their nests in spring and where they hid themselves in winter.
2. How the beavers built their river lodges, how squirrels hid their acorns, and how the reindeer ran so swiftly.
He learned all the intimate secrets of the wilderness:
1. How the birds built their nests in spring and where they hid themselves in winter.
2. How the beavers built their river lodges, how squirrels hid their acorns, and how the reindeer ran so swiftly.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Identifies Hiawatha and grandmother Nokomis
1.0 M
Details secrets of birds' nests, beaver lodges, and squirrels' acorns
2.0 M
Q2
Reading is Fun • 'The Scholar's Mother Tongue'
What challenge did the learned Pundit present to Emperor Akbar's royal court? Why was it difficult to guess his mother tongue?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
The Pundit challenged Emperor Akbar and his courtiers to identify his real mother tongue within one day.
It was extraordinarily difficult because the scholar was a master linguist who spoke multiple languages—including Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, and Hindi—with such flawless fluency and native accent that no one could tell which language was his original mother tongue.
It was extraordinarily difficult because the scholar was a master linguist who spoke multiple languages—including Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, and Hindi—with such flawless fluency and native accent that no one could tell which language was his original mother tongue.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
States 24-hour court challenge to identify mother tongue
1.5 M
Explains scholar's flawless multilingual fluency
1.5 M
Q3
Reading is Fun • 'The Scholar's Mother Tongue'
How did Birbal discover the scholar's mother tongue? What was the scholar's actual mother tongue?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
At dead of night when the scholar was sound asleep, Birbal quietly entered his bedchamber and gently tickled the scholar's ear with a dry grass straw. Half-awake and startled, the scholar cried out sudden curses and shouts in Telugu.
Next morning, Birbal announced to Emperor Akbar that the scholar's mother tongue was Telugu, which the astonished scholar humbly admitted was true.
Next morning, Birbal announced to Emperor Akbar that the scholar's mother tongue was Telugu, which the astonished scholar humbly admitted was true.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Describes midnight straw tickle provoking subconscious reaction
1.5 M
Identifies Telugu as the scholar's true mother tongue
1.5 M
Q4
Word Building • Adding '-ly' Adverbs
Add '-ly' to convert the following adjectives into adverbs and write one sentence: (a) Fluent, (b) Quiet, (c) Sudden.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
(a) Fluent: Fluently.
(b) Quiet: Quietly.
(c) Sudden: Suddenly.
Sentence: The clever Birbal walked quietly into the dark room without making any noise.
(b) Quiet: Quietly.
(c) Sudden: Suddenly.
Sentence: The clever Birbal walked quietly into the dark room without making any noise.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Three correct adverbs formed
1.5 M
One grammatically accurate sentence
0.5 M
Q5
Reading is Fun • Poem Comprehension
In Unit 6 ('Hiawatha & The Scholar's Mother Tongue'), what is the central event in the poem, and what sounds of nature wake the morning world?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Nature & Morning Sounds:
The poem celebrates the break of dawn. Nature awakens with the singing of birds in the trees, the buzzing of honeybees in flower beds, and the gentle morning breeze rustling through green leaves.
The poem celebrates the break of dawn. Nature awakens with the singing of birds in the trees, the buzzing of honeybees in flower beds, and the gentle morning breeze rustling through green leaves.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Awakening of nature described
1 M
Specific sounds (birds, bees) identified
1 M
Q6
Reading is Fun • Story Comprehension
In the prose section of Unit 6, how does the main character overcome self-doubt or an unusual dilemma?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Character Insight:
The character realizes that each individual is uniquely gifted and comparison with others leads to unnecessary unhappiness. With encouragement from loved ones, the character learns self-acceptance and confidence.
The character realizes that each individual is uniquely gifted and comparison with others leads to unnecessary unhappiness. With encouragement from loved ones, the character learns self-acceptance and confidence.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Dilemma identified
1.5 M
Resolution through self-acceptance explained
1.5 M
Q7
Word Building • Antonyms
Find antonyms (opposites) for: (a) Tiny (b) Defeat (c) Selfish (d) Proud.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Antonyms:
• (a) Tiny — Huge / Enormous.
• (b) Defeat — Victory / Win.
• (c) Selfish — Generous / Selfless.
• (d) Proud — Humble / Modest.
• (a) Tiny — Huge / Enormous.
• (b) Defeat — Victory / Win.
• (c) Selfish — Generous / Selfless.
• (d) Proud — Humble / Modest.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
All 4 opposites correct
2 M
Q8
Let us Write • Creative Expressions
Write two sentences describing how trees help birds, animals, and human beings as depicted in 'Hiawatha & The Scholar's Mother Tongue'.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Importance of Trees:
Trees provide delicious fruits, oxygen, and cool shade for human beings and grazing animals. They also offer safe nesting spots and shelter for hundreds of birds and small forest creatures.
Trees provide delicious fruits, oxygen, and cool shade for human beings and grazing animals. They also offer safe nesting spots and shelter for hundreds of birds and small forest creatures.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Benefits to humans and wildlife clearly stated
2 M
Q9
Grammar & Language • Conjunctions (and, but, because)
Join the pairs of sentences using 'and', 'but', or 'because':
(a) She ran fast. She missed the school bus.
(b) We stayed inside. It was raining heavily.
[2 Marks]
(a) She ran fast. She missed the school bus.
(b) We stayed inside. It was raining heavily.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Joined Sentences:
• (a) She ran fast, but she missed the school bus.
• (b) We stayed inside because it was raining heavily.
• (a) She ran fast, but she missed the school bus.
• (b) We stayed inside because it was raining heavily.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Correct use of 'but'
1 M
Correct use of 'because'
1 M
Q10
Talk Time • Imagination & Empathy
If animals and trees could speak our language, what important advice would they give to humans?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Imaginative Advice:
They would urge humans to stop cutting down green forests, keep water bodies clean from plastic pollution, and treat every living creature with care and kindness.
They would urge humans to stop cutting down green forests, keep water bodies clean from plastic pollution, and treat every living creature with care and kindness.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Thoughtful, empathetic environmental message
2 M
Q11
Vocabulary • Rhyming Couplets
Find two rhyming word pairs from the poem in Unit 6.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Rhyming Pairs:
1. Bed - Head (rhyming sound '-ed').
2. Day - Play (rhyming sound '-ay').
1. Bed - Head (rhyming sound '-ed').
2. Day - Play (rhyming sound '-ay').
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Two valid rhyming pairs with sounds identified
2 M
Q12
Grammar • Subject and Predicate
Divide the sentence into Subject and Predicate: 'The little fir tree stood proudly in the green forest.'
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Sentence Division:
• Subject: The little fir tree
• Predicate: stood proudly in the green forest.
• Subject: The little fir tree
• Predicate: stood proudly in the green forest.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Subject correctly identified
1 M
Predicate correctly identified
1 M
Q13
Think & Discuss • Life Lessons
What is the core moral lesson of Unit 6 ('Hiawatha & The Scholar's Mother Tongue')?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Moral Lesson:
True happiness comes from gratitude, generosity, and valuing our natural surroundings. Greed and vanity only bring discontentment.
True happiness comes from gratitude, generosity, and valuing our natural surroundings. Greed and vanity only bring discontentment.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Clear moral lesson with supporting detail
2 M
Q14
Review Questions • True or False
State True or False:
(a) Nasruddin was famous among his friends for boasting about his archery skills.
(b) Giving without expecting anything in return is true kindness.
(c) A question mark is placed at the end of an assertive sentence.
[3 Marks]
(a) Nasruddin was famous among his friends for boasting about his archery skills.
(b) Giving without expecting anything in return is true kindness.
(c) A question mark is placed at the end of an assertive sentence.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answers:
• (a) True: Nasruddin boasted about his aim.
• (b) True: Selfless giving is the highest virtue.
• (c) False: An assertive sentence ends with a full stop, not a question mark.
• (a) True: Nasruddin boasted about his aim.
• (b) True: Selfless giving is the highest virtue.
• (c) False: An assertive sentence ends with a full stop, not a question mark.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
True, True, False with explanations
3 M
🌟 NEP 2020 Competency-Based Case Study
Psycholinguistics of the Mother Tongue
Modern psychologists confirm that our first acquired native language (mother tongue) is deeply encoded in the subconscious limbic system of the brain, making it our automatic involuntary response during fright or pain.
Analytical Task: How did Birbal leverage this subconscious psychological reflex? Why are mother tongues so vital to cultural identity?
Evaluation & Model Answer:
Birbal's Insight: Birbal understood that conscious intellect and learned accents drop their guard when startled out of deep sleep. An involuntary reflexive shout will always emerge from the earliest childhood linguistic memory.
Vital to Identity: The mother tongue is not just words; it carries our emotional intimacy, childhood folklore, cultural heritage, and maternal bonding. Preserving native languages safeguards community identity and linguistic diversity.
Vital to Identity: The mother tongue is not just words; it carries our emotional intimacy, childhood folklore, cultural heritage, and maternal bonding. Preserving native languages safeguards community identity and linguistic diversity.
Rubric: 1 Mark for subconscious reflex mechanism; 1 Mark for cultural and emotional preservation significance.