The Mountain and the Squirrel
Posted by: whitephosphorous on: June 18, 2007
- In: English| People| Philosophy
- Comment!
My friend G and I were talking about different facets of human emotions and behavior last evening when he suddenly remembered this poem we studied in Primary School. We studied this poem may be in 5th or 6th Standard, and probably even forgot about its significance, but come to see, it has so much to tell us about life in itself.
The Poet has used the mountain and the squirrel effectively in conveying how much one overestimates himself and how one need not feel intimidated about his or her physical appearance or success measures in life.
The mountain and the squirrel
Had a quarrel,
And the former called the latter“Little prig.”
Bun replied,“You are doubtless very big;
But all sorts of things and weather
Must be taken in togetherTo make up a year
And a sphere.
And I think it no disgrace
To occupy my place.
If I’m not so large as you,
You are not so small as I,
And not half so spry:
I’ll not deny you make
A very pretty squirrel track
Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;
If I cannot carry forests on my back,
Neither can you crack a nut.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thanks G for reminding me of this wonderful poem.
10 Responses to "The Mountain and the Squirrel"
June 18, 2007 at 1:57 pm
very well said – this post has made me recall few things from my school days and several situations in life…
I have been noticing and thinking about it lately on the varieties of language poems we read in primary and secondary schools, where i don’t think I understood any significance of those. True – teachers made their effort to explain at the class – but as i remember those descriptions were mostly literal meaning and not deep into the moral (or perhaps I don’t remember now).
However, neevu haeLidhanthe, aa kavanagaLalli saakashTu arivu iruvudhu kanDubaruvudhu, avugaLanna vishleshisi nOdidhaaga, athava, halavaaru experience-gaLu aagidhdhaaga, venisuththe.
on similar lines, we usually have that sense of inferiority – of understimating ourselves compared to other individuals – and lack the way of thought that each individual has respective strengths in respective areas.
contextually, it is also sad, that people/kids are rated compared to others likewise, most of the time. To me, I sometimes feel, if these moral stories in schools actually are conflcting to the actual tests and results and comparing other kids in one particular field. – just my thoughts
June 19, 2007 at 9:38 am
Recalling my english school days… how we were taught these poems while we were fighting to share the ’seebekai’ at the back of class!!
Finally i understood – thanks vani madam.
June 22, 2007 at 10:52 am
Ayyo….trend yenthaddu illa….have gone slightly into “Bloggers’s Block”, coupled with some changes in professional and personal life….
June 22, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Bloggers’s Block…??????/// If u want to come out of that Do visit my Blog……!!!
Guruge thiru Manthra???
changes in professional and personal life… Gothilla..
hmmmm………….
June 22, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Naren,
Seem to have snapped out of it sooner than anticipated…new post is already up….
June 22, 2007 at 1:51 pm
ys….. i have updated My blog… There is new post…. Kindly let me know abt. it…….. Someone from ur Balaga has commented.. Thanks
October 3, 2007 at 1:24 am
Want to start your private office arms race right now?
I just got my own USB rocket launcher 
Awsome thing.
Plug into your computer and you got a remote controlled office missile launcher with 360 degrees horizontal and 45 degree vertival rotation with a range of more than 6 meters – which gives you a coverage of 113 square meters round your workplace.
You can get the gadget here: http://tinyurl.com/2qul3c
Check out the video they have on the page.
Cheers
Marko Fando
August 3, 2009 at 5:46 pm
This poem is our assignment
thanks for the info, and for the comments also.. hihihihi
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June 18, 2007 at 1:21 pm
lovely!
on the same lines:
** moorthi chikkadaadaru keerthi doddadhu.
** mukha nodi moLa haakbeda.
** remembered the story where a sage is praying and a rat falls into his hand. and he transforms it into a girl child….and a few years later when he is searching a fitting groom for the girl, he goes to sun, then, cloud, then wind, then mountain, then finally the rat…and the girl is transformed back into a rat….and they lived happily ever after.