In the great epic the Ramayana, a story that pits all that is good and noble against selfishness and evil, Sita, the wife of Lord Rama, was kidnapped by King Ravanna, and hidden away in the island kingdom of Lanka. Rama, aided by his faithful brother Lakshman and the monkey-king Hanuman with all his followers searched frantically to find the abducted queen, and at last discovered her in Ravenna’s palace. To rescue her, though, it was necessary to build a bridge across the ocean to Lanka.

At once Hanuman and his army set to work, racing back and forth and hurling huge boulders into the water. Slowly the bridge began to grow, and when the monkeys saw their progress, they doubled their efforts.

Meanwhile, darting around their feet, a little squirrel was busy. It would pick up a tiny pebble, scurry forward, and throw it onto the bridge. Then it would run back and find another, and do the same again.

When the monkeys noticed the little squirrel, they roared with laughter. “Look at the mighty squirrel,” they said scornfully, “building a bridge across the ocean! Stay out of the way, little one, this is work for bigger creatures!”

But Lord Rama saw what was happening, and he bent down and called the little squirrel to him, and took it in his hand. “Do not mock this brave squirrel,” he told the monkeys. “He is true in his devotion, and he is doing his best for the dharma!”

And then he gently stroked the back of the squirrel with three fingers – and until this day, the descendants of that squirrel bear white stripes on their back to show the blessing of Rama for their devotion.