2. HOW THE SQUIRREL GOT HIS STRIPES

This story is one of the many stories referred to in the Ramayana. The story tries to find out the logic behind the stripes on the body of a squirrel. It also emphasizes the dignity of labour, the importance of feelings in participating in team work, and that even the smallest contribution is important in some way...

2.1 LET US READ THE TEXT

Ram asked his army to build a bridge over the sea. Work began at once on a stone bridge. The monkeys pulled out rocks and heavy stones from the mountains, and carried them to the sea. They cut them into shape and began to build the bridge. All this was very difficult

work and it took a long time. Thousands of monkeys worked night and day. Rama felt happy. "How hard they work! Their love for me makes them work like this," thought Rama.

One day Rama saw a small brown squirrel. He was going up and down the seashore with little pebbles in his mouth. The little squirrel could carry only little pebbles at a time in his small mouth. He carried the pebbles from the seashore and dropped them into the sea. A great monkey was carrying a large heavy stone on his back and the squirrel came in his way. The monkey jumped back.

"Here, you little thing," shouted the monkey in a voice like thunder, "you're in my way, I stepped back and you're alive now. But I nearly fell. And what are you doing here?"

The little squirrel looked up at the great monkey.

"I'm sorry you nearly fell, Brother Monkey," he said in his small voice, "but please always look where you are going. I'm helping Rama build the bridge. And I want to work hard for him."

"You, what?" shouted the monkey and laughed aloud. "Did you hear that!" he said to the other monkeys. "The squirrel is building a bridge with his pebbles. Oh dear! Oh dear! I've never heard a funnier story." The other monkeys laughed too

The squirrel did not think this funny at all. He said, "Look, I can't carry mountains or rocks. God gave me only a little strength. I can only carry pebbles. My heart cries out for Rama and I'll do all I can for him."

The monkeys said, "Don't be foolish. Do you think you can help Rama? Do you How the Squirrel Got His Stripes

think we can build a bridge with pebbles? He has a big army to help him. Go home and don't get in our way."

"But I want to help, too," said the squirrel and would not go.

He carried the pebbles again from the shore to the sea. The monkeys were angry and one of them picked up the squirrel by his tail and threw him far away.

The squirrel, crying out the name of Rama, fell into his hands.

Then Rama held the squirrel close to him. He said to the monkeys, "Do not make fun of the weak and the small. Your strength or what you do is not important. What matters is your love. This little squirrel has love in his heart."

He then held the squirrel closer to him and said, "Little one, your love touches my heart." He said these words and passed his fingers gently over the little squirrel's back. And when he put him down there were three white stripes on his back. These were the marks of Lord Rama's fingers.

From then on the squirrel carries the three white stripes on his back.

(A tale from the Ramayana