Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, by Suri Nagamma

While this was going on, a female monkey with a babe
at her breast approached the fruit basket. People near the
basket shouted it away. Bhagavan said, “It is a mother
with a child. Why not give her something and send her
away?” But he was not sufficiently audible, and so the
monkey got frightened, went off and hid herself in a tree.

Bhagavan, full of pity and kindness, said, “Is this fair? We
call ourselves sannyasins; but when a real sannyasi comes
we drive him away without giving him anything. How
unfair! We want to eat for years and live. We store things
in a room, lock it and keep the keys with us. Has the
monkey got a house? Can it put anything by for the
morrow? It eats whatever it can get and sleeps on whatever
tree available. It carries the child under its belly, wherever
it goes, until the child is able to walk about, when it leaves
the child to itself. Who is a real sannyasi, the monkey or
ourselves? That is why the male monkey took its share on
the way itself. That was a male and could do it with
impunity. This is a female. What can she do?” So saying
Bhagavan began calling that monkey cajolingly. The
monkey came on to the side of the couch and stood there.

In an endearing manner, Bhagavan gave her all the fruit
she wanted and sent her away.

A little later, the white peacock came in all its grandeur.

Bhagavan, looking at it, said to me, “Look, their ears are not
visible. In the usual place for ears there are big holes. They
are covered by feathers in the shape of a fan.” I said, “Is that
so? I never knew it before.” Bhagavan then remarked, “I
observed this while I was on the hill. We then had two
peacocks with us. The peahen always used to sleep in my
lap. I observed this when she was thus sleeping. The peacock
never came so close to me. He used to wander about in all
sorts of places. She never used to leave me but always sit by
my side or sleep in my lap. She was very familiar with me.

The peacock used to call her to accompany him whenever
he went out, but like a little child, she would never leave me
and go.”
I said, “Little girls are always more attached to
Bhagavan and Bhagavan also shows towards them greater
affection.”
Bhagavan: “One day a fellow took her away by force.

She never returned. What happened I do not know. The
cock however at last breathed his last in my lap. It was then
we built a tomb for him there.”
“How very fortunate it is!” I said. “Yes, yes,” said
Bhagavan and was again silent.