Perched atop a Jacaranda tree in an unusually quiet Rose Garden, two doves gaze adoringly at a squirrel as he swishes his tail and settles in with them for a night of stories from a long buried past. The brown squirrel, whose odd white head shines silver in the star-lit night, has questions that no one has answered. But tonight, he seeks his piece of history from his friends.
But wait, that can’t be! How can birds be friends with squirrels?
When the squirrel is as enchanting as Shikar and the birds as compassionate as the doves, a lot can happen! This white-headed squirrel from The Golden Eagle is deeply loved by Kabul, his bird-mother and Lovey and Dovey, his dove-aunty and dove-uncle.
Do you know what makes Shikar the most unusual squirrel? Read on to find out:
Shikar can melt hearts at first sight
The usually rational and level-headed skybird, Kabul, experiences a flutter in her heart when she sets eyes on infant Shikar:
‘The baby’s head was white. The squirrel was tiny, smaller than even a sunbird. Kabul sat there spellbound. Chorus went on singing. By the time Chorus ran out of breath, Kabul was convinced that the squirrel was the most adorable creature she had ever seen.’
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Shikar is a squirrel among birds
Raised as one of their own, Shikar feels loved and protected by the birds but in his heart he knows his being among birds is out of the ordinary:
‘Shikar was aware that he was special. After all, he was the only squirrel in the whole wide world who could speak the bird language.’
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Shikar yearns for adventure
Being a squirrel, Shikar feels left out of the excitement that birds enjoy when they take flight to faraway places:
‘I don’t have wings. I can’t fly to distant lands. I don’t have great stories to tell. It’s birds who lead exciting lives, flying everywhere and having adventures.’
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Shikar is the outsider with a mysterious past
Dumbfounded at what he thinks are nasty rumours, Shikar struggles to cope with the rejection that causes him so much pain-
‘I’m the bird-squirrel, the ghastly creature that young squirrels are taught to fear. Squirrel mothers make up stories about me. I’m the pale-faced demon who will kidnap them if they don’t behave. There’s this one story so popular that every squirrel in the Gardens knows it. It’s about how I can summon eagles whenever I want. Eagles bigger than anyone has ever seen. Evil, golden ones.’
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Shikar is spunky
The vulnerable baby squirrel has to become a brave little fighter when left alone to defend himself in an unfair battle with a gang of mean adult squirrels –
‘We couldn’t help marvelling at the little squirrel’s bravery. We watched him scamper up the tree and wage battle with the big squirrels once more. It was an unequal tussle and it wasn’t long before the squirrel fell again. Undaunted, the baby clambered back up.’
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Shikar is unique
Sensing Shikar’s unhappiness at Kabul’s refusal to talk about the past, the doves decide to lay bare all that was withheld from the little squirrel-
‘The squirrels should have looked after you, but they rejected you, pushing you away every time you went to them. Their attitude was not entirely unexpected—same as the behaviour of the squirrels of the Rose Garden. Your head is white, Shikar. Squirrel heads are brown. They turned you away because you are different.’
Listening to the story of how it all came to be, Shikar realises he is a lucky little squirrel. In a world where danger lurks in every corner, he has friends who look out for him. His little head buzzing with stories of adventures the doves spoke of, Shikar can hardly believe all that had happened at Stork-pur and Flamingo Lake!
