English Lesson 2: (TMA) - "How the Squirrel got his stripes?" - a tale from the epic Ramayana

 HOW THE SQUIRREL GOT HIS STRIPES

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 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)

TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. Which qualities of Lord Rama are highlighted in this story?

compassion/kindness, gentleness, respect for all living beings

2. What is the message given through this lesson?

We should not make fun of the weak and the small. Love is more important than physical strength.

3. Have you ever had an experience in which a person surprised you by doing something which you thought he/she could not do? 

Describe the situation in 60-80 words.

INTEXT QUESTIONS

1. Building a bridge was difficult work involving several steps. Complete the steps:

• pulling out rocks & heavy stones from the mountains

• carrying the rocks & stones to the sea

• cutting them into shapes

• building the bridge

2. Complete the following table showing the contrast between the monkey and the squirrel:

DESCRIPTION ----------Monkey --------Squirrel

size----great / bit---------small/big

voice-----loud---------- small \ weak \ soft

strength----- strong----- weak

attitude ---rude/impolite-----polite

3. Why did the monkeys make fun of the squirrel?

They thought the squirrel was foolish to think of building a bridge with pebbles and to think it could help in building the bridge.

1. How did the squirrel justify what he was doing?

The squirrel justified what he was doing by saying that he did not have much strength, but he could still help by carrying pebbles because he wanted to help Lord Rama in whatever way he could.

2. Why did the squirrel want to help in building the bridge?

The squirrel wanted to help in building the bridge because he had love for Lord Rama and wanted to show his love for Him.

3. Was the work of the squirrel less important than the monkey’s work? Give reasons for your answer.

4. How did the squirrel come into Rama’s hands?

When one of the monkeys picked the squirrel up by the tail and threw him away, he fell into Lord Rama’s hands.

5. How did the squirrel get his stripes?

When the squirrel fell into Lord Rama’s hand, he gently and lovingly ran his fingers on the squirrel’s back. The stripes on the squirrel’s back are the marks of Lord Rama’s fingers.

Let's see the same story in Tamil