fluffy tail of a Squirrel !!!

 

They are chirpy, extremely active, adorable !  - the Squirrels.  Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents.  Tails are appendages at the rear  !!

 

In the greatest epic Ramayana, one interesting episode is that involving the little squirrel  -  it is a  perfect example of not getting overawed by the situation nor by what others did, but contributing one’s mite towards fulfillment of the target. ~ and we know that Lord Sri Rama was so compassionate .. .. 

                 The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots (including woodchucks), flying squirrels, and prairie dogs amongst other rodents. Squirrels are indigenous to Asia,  America, Eurasia, and Africa, and were introduced by humans to Australia.  Squirrels get lots of attention from humans, but not always much appreciation. We tend to dwell on the stolen birdseed or the occupied attics, yet squirrels have a long, mostly harmless — and often entertaining — history of living in our midst. 

A couple of interesting facts :  A Squirrel’s front teeth never stop growing. They have to keep gnawing on nuts, bark, and hard objects to wear them down.  Squirrels can find buried food even under a foot of snow by using their strong sense of smell. 

Ever heard of this story  of Ratatoskr from Norse mythology: a squirrel that runs up and down the world-tree Yggdrasil carrying insults and messages between an eagle at the top and a serpent at the roots. The story is less about heroism and more about how gossip can keep conflict alive. 

A squirrel lived in the great tree between heaven and underworld. Every day it carried words from the eagle above to the serpent below, but it never carried them cleanly; it sharpened every message into an insult. Soon the eagle and serpent were consumed by anger, while the squirrel darted on, pleased by the chaos. The lesson is that a messenger who loves drama can turn small words into endless war.  Another one from darkest Norse myths is the story of Baldr’s death, which feels like a prophecy of the world falling apart. 

Baldr, the beloved son of Odin and Frigg, began to dream of his own death. Frigg, desperate to protect him, made everything in the world swear not to harm him: fire, iron, stones, animals, diseases, and every other thing she could think of. But she overlooked one harmless-looking thing, mistletoe, because it seemed too young and weak to matter. 

The Gods soon turned Baldr’s invulnerability into a game. They threw spears and stones at him, laughing as every weapon glanced off without harm. Then Loki, cruel and clever, found the one thing that could kill him. He made a spear or arrow from mistletoe and gave it to Baldr’s blind brother Höðr, guiding his hand. The missile struck Baldr, and the god of light fell dead. The hall went silent. Grief swept through the Gods and men. Odin’s sorrow was not just for a son, but for the knowledge that even divine love cannot stop fate. The attempt to cheat destiny only made the loss more terrible. In Norse thought, this is one of the great warnings: doom comes even when you try to outrun it. 

The myth becomes darker still because Baldr’s death is not just a tragedy by itself; it is a sign that Ragnarök is approaching, the final collapse worlds, and order. What makes it intense is the cold Norse feeling behind it: the universe is beautiful, but it is not safe, and sometimes the things that seem smallest can bring down what is greatest. 

Ragnarök is the Norse end-of-the-world myth: a chain of disasters, betrayals, and battles that ends with gods, monsters, and much of the world destroyed. It is often described as the “doom” or “twilight” of the gods, and in some versions the world rises again afterward. The story usually begins with a brutal winter and social collapse, then moves into cosmic violence: wolves break free, seas rise, monsters attack, and the final war begins.  What makes Ragnarök so intense is that the gods do not simply lose because they are weak; they lose because fate cannot be escaped. The myth feels fatalistic in a very Norse way: courage matters, but survival is never guaranteed. 

A squirrel tail is the large, bushy appendage at the end of a squirrel's body, which is essential for the animal's survival and serves multiple critical functions beyond just appearing fluffy.  Squirrels can survive without their tails but lose mobility, balance, and communication abilities, hopping like rabbits instead of moving normally.

 
Interesting !
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
5.6.2026