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 labor, the importance of feelings in participating in teamwork, and that even the smallest contribution is important in some way...
OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson you will be able to relate to a simple story in English; critically analyze a situation and take a decision; use reasoning to form an opinion; value every individual's contribution however small; accept people and respect individual differences use adjectives in the correct sequence, and write the description of an object.
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 fell is happy. "How hard they work! Their love for me makes them work like this, though 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 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)
Rama asked his army......The other monkeys laughed too.
Monkeys were helping Lord Rama to build a bridge over the sea. They were pulling out the rocks and heavy stones from the mountains and carrying them to the sea. A little squirrel was also carrying little pebbles from the mountains and throwing them into the sea. Suddenly he came in the way of a big monkey. The monkey shouted at the squirrel and wanted to know what he was doing there. When the squirrel told the monkey that he was also contributing to building the bridge, all the monkeys made fun of him.
You must be logged in to post a comment.