The Foolish Men of Agra and Other Tales of Mogul India

Teya Rosenberg is an assistant professor of English specializing in
children’s literature at Southwest Texas State University.

The 10 stories in this collection, drawn from traditional Mogul Indian
tales, explore notions of wisdom and foolishness. In the title story,
Akbar, the emperor of Agra, commands Birbal, his wise minister, to find
the six most foolish men in Agra. Birbal finds four men. When Akbar
questions him about the last two, Birbal replies that the last two are
themselves: “You, Jahanpanah, because you set me such a foolish task.
I, because I carried it out.”

In most of the stories, wisdom lies in doing the just or fair thing
rather than in exercising power for power’s sake. The wisdom of
trusting one’s friends is also emphasized by Akbar’s and Birbal’s
steadfast friendship in the face of foolish manipulations by jealous
courtiers.

The two- and three-page tales are each preceded by a brief explanation
of Mogul India and followed by a glossary. The bright illustrations,
chiefly decorations rather than explanations, are in the spirit of Mogul
Indian art, with lots of detail and lush colors. Together, words and
pictures create a beautiful, entertaining book. Recommended