The Breathing Stone!

Raju

In their search for a viable place that offers food continuously a family of squirrels migrated to the lakeside and started living there on the Palm trees. The favorite place for the kids in this squirrels family is the Palm tree that leans towards the lake almost touching the surface of the water.

On the second day of their moving to the lakeside place and living on the palm trees, the baby squirrels found a long rocklike thing floating on the water near the palm tree that leaned towards the water.

Without a second thought the three baby squirrels jumped onto the long rocklike thing floating on the water- half submerged. The squirrels ran all across and they found an up and down movement in the middle of the thing. The squirrels stood there for sometime to experience the movement and felt happy. With call of their mother the squirrels jumped back to the palm tree and went away.

No sooner did they see their mom, they competed with each other to narrate their unique experience. One baby squirrel said “ Mom it is a breathing stone floating on the wall.

Next day it was noon, the crocodiles in the lake had their lunch. Three of them swam across the lake and reached the other side of the lake where the squirrels live. The baby squirrels came out with their parents in amazement to find the three long black rocklike bodies floating on the water near the palm tree. The baby squirrels jumped on to one of the crocodiles with merriment and soon followed their parents.

All the squirrels experienced the up & down movement to their joy and returned to their home after an hour or so.

In the morning they came out to check whether these three crocodiles look like long black rocks floating on the water. They did not find any. As they were preparing for their lunch they saw their old friend Dr.Dove their longtime friend. All the squirrels shared with the Pigeon their experiences of playing on the breathing black long rock that floats on the lake near the leaning palm tree. They had compelled Dr.Dove to have lunch with them. Soon after having the lunch the baby squirrels lead Dr. Dove to the leaning palm tree. They found – this time – six black long bodies floating on water.

The squirrels were lost at the sight of this. Dr .Dove understood the reason for their exhilaration. It took some time to dissuade them to continue playing on the floating crocodiles in the water.

Once the squirrels came back to the palm tree Dr. Dove told them the reality.

You were living in the middle of the forest so far and have not seen the crocodiles that live in big lakes, streams in the forest and prey on animals that pass through. Now I shall prove how they look like. Saying this Dr. Dove started looking in all directions. The squirrels were yet to come to terms with what Dr. Dove described.

In the meantime Dr. Dove spotted an elephant. elephants

Do not go anywhere and stay here. I shall bring that elephant here to help you see the crocodile. In a few minutes time Dr. Dove returned by sitting on the scalp of an elephant that holds a big stick with its trunk.crocodile

Please disturb these crocodiles with this stick My Dear Elephant – said Dr. Dove

The elephant executed its request by giving a jolt to the crocodile that floats in the middle of six. With this the crocodile surfaced its huge long mouth and opened it in a swift movement. This sudden movement, made the remaining 5 crocodiles move towards the stick. Thus they have shown their full bodies to the squirrels.

The squirrels got frightened with the movement of crocodiles and requested Dr. Dove to bring back Mr. Elephant.

With in a few minutes the crocodiles calmed down. One of them came out and said: Actually we feel the feather touch of these little squirrels when they play on us. We do not eat them. They can play on us when we come here to rest after lunch.

The baby squirrels jumped with joy and said: Thank you crocodiles. You do not frighten us when you sleep. But sleep always by floating near this palm tree that leans to the water.

The crocodiles laughed and said OK; and submerged into the water.

The elephant felt happy for the gesture of the crocodiles

The squirrels family thanked Dr. Dove for the help it rendered to educate them.squirrel

As it was noon and sun was severe all of them rested in the shade of the nearby banyan tree.