Grey Squirrel

Not so deep in a not-so-remote forest, a bunch of squirrels noisily look to climb a tree, looking for fruits and nuts to eat. The forest floor is littered with a layer of leaves. Every animal, however small, cannot avoid making sounds while treading. The climb is not very difficult for these swift creatures.

The squirrels proceed to the higher branches, for the lower ones have already been cleared of the fruit and nut by other members of their genus. Effortlessly, like practiced acrobats, the squirrels maneuver over the branches and reach their goal—nuts, their favorite food. Munching delightedly, they keep looking around furtively. Within days, the tree is bare of nuts.

Tiny though they are, squirrels can be very quick on their feet. They are usually shy creatures, and stay away from any intruders, especially cats and dogs, which are always trying to catch them. An amazing sight to watch while they scale near-vertical tree-trunks, they may also choose to stay still for a while to ensure no one else is around.

Being extremely wary, squirrels bound away to the safety of trees the moment they spot anything coming towards them, including birds. However, occasionally, they may become brave, and start looking for food to eat even when there are crows prowling nearby. Aggressive squirrels often take on the crows, loudly squeaking with their tails upturned.  They'll probably never become so bold in front of humans though, since we have practically cut off ourselves from Nature and only occasionally venture outside.

Squirrels prefer to live in peaceful environments. They are seen infrequently, as are other wild creatures, during festivals dominated by sound pollution—Diwali.

Indian epic Ramayan, mentions that squirrels received the white stripes on their backs from Lord Ram as a token of appreciation. They had helped the king build a rock bridge over the sea to modern-day Sri Lanka. 

We ought to learn from these little animals that however small our contribution, it counts. It is only important to have belief in oneself and confidence that only good will happen—quite contrary to Murphy's Law. 

Lets make a small start to protect our environment.