Shri Ram’s monkey army was building a bridge across the sea to reach Lanka. Under the supervision of Nala and Neela, large stones inscribed with Ram’s name were being placed in the water.
A tiny squirrel came there too. She felt she should help as well. Again and again she dipped in the sea, rolled in the sand and then shook the sand into the gaps between the stones.
Some monkeys laughed at her, “You are so small. What can your grains of sand do?” The squirrel stayed silent but kept at her work.
When Shri Ram learned of it, he lifted the squirrel in his palm and lovingly stroked her back with his fingers. Folk tradition says the stripes on a squirrel’s back are the mark of that affection.
Shri Ram said that everyone’s effort is valuable according to their strength, and in service there is no big or small.