Little Hanuman and the Mango in the Sky

Long ago, in a forest kingdom, a baby monkey was born to Anjana and the wind god Vayu. His name was Maruti, and he was no ordinary baby — he was as fast as the wind itself!

One morning, little Maruti woke up very, very hungry. He looked out and saw a big, round, glowing orange fruit rising in the sky.

"A mango!" he squealed. "The biggest, juiciest mango in the whole world!"

But it was not a mango. It was the Sun!

Little Maruti crouched, wiggled, and — whoosh! — leapt straight into the sky. Up and up he flew, past the clouds, past the birds, reaching for the glowing fruit.

The gods watched in wonder. But Indra, the king of the gods, grew worried. "The Sun must be protected!" He threw his mighty thunderbolt, and it struck little Maruti on the jaw. The baby fell down, down, down from the sky.

Vayu, the wind god, caught his little son and held him close. He was so sad and so angry that he stopped blowing altogether. No wind! No air! Trees stood still. The whole world could not breathe.

The gods rushed to Vayu. "Please, forgive us! We shall make your son well again." Brahma healed the baby, and every god gave him a gift — strength, speed, courage, and protection from fire and water. Because his jaw — his hanu — had been hurt, they lovingly gave him a new name: Hanuman.

And that hungry little baby grew up to become the greatest, bravest, most devoted hero — the mighty Hanuman!