For young readers: A tale from the ‘Ramayana’ about how the squirrel got its three stripes

Lord Rama and his army of monkeys were preparing for war with Ravan.

Rama asked his army to build a bridge over the sea so that they could reach Lanka. Work began at once. 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. Thousands of monkeys worked night and day. Rama was happy. “How hard they work! Their love for me makes them work like this,” he thought.

One day, Rama saw a small brown squirrel. It was going up and down the seashore with little pebbles in its mouth and dropping them into the ocean. The little squirrel could carry only a few stones at a time.

As the squirrel returned to collect more pebbles, it came in the way of Hanuman, who was carrying a large rock on his back. Hanuman jumped back. “Here, you little thing,” he shouted in a voice like thunder. “You’re in my way. I stepped back at the right moment and so you’re still alive. But I nearly feel like trying not to step on you. What are you doing here?”

The little squirrel innocently looked up at the great monkey. “I’m sorry you nearly fell, Brother Hanuman,” it said in a 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? Did you hear that!” Hanuman exclaimed to the others.

“The squirrel is building a bridge with these pebbles. Oh dear! Oh dear! I’ve never heard a funnier story.”

The other monkeys laughed uproariously.

The squirrel did not think this was funny at all. “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.”

A monkey said, “Don’t be foolish. Do you think you can help Rama? Do you 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,” the squirrel said firmly.

It carried the pebbles again from the shore to the sea. The monkeys were angry; one picked up the squirrel by the tail and threw it far away.

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

Rama lovingly held the squirrel close to him. He turned to the monkeys and gravely said, “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 its heart.”

“O monkeys, you are brave and strong and doing a wonderful job bringing all these huge boulders and stones from far away and dropping them in the ocean. But did you notice the tiny pebbles and stones that this small squirrel and other smaller creatures have brought are filling the small gaps between the huge stones? Do you not realise that the tiny grains of sand brought by this squirrel are the ones that bind the whole structure and make it strong? Yet you scold this small creature and fling it away in anger!”

Hearing this, the monkeys were ashamed and bowed their heads in embarrassment.

Rama continued, “Always remember, however small, every task is equally important. Great work can never be completed by a few people alone. It needs the support of all, and however small, an effort should always be appreciated!”

Rama then turned to the squirrel and said softly, “My dear squirrel, I am sorry for the hurt my army caused you. I thank you for the help you have rendered to me. Please continue your work happily.”

Rama brought the squirrel closer and said, “Little one, your love touches my heart.” He gently stroked the little squirrel’s back with three fingers. When he put the squirrel down, its back had three white stripes. This mark from Lord Rama can be seen on all squirrels even today.

Excerpted with permission from Epic Tales of Wisdom, Nityananda Charan Das, illustrated by Nirzara Verulkar, Red Panda.