Yashoda's Rope

Long ago, in the village of Gokul, the morning was full of happy sounds.

Swish, swish went the churning stick in Yashoda's pot. Moo went the cows outside. And patter, patter went little Krishna's feet, all over the house.

Krishna had butter on his fingers. He had butter on his nose. He was giggling and sharing butter with the monkeys at the window.

Yashoda put her hands on her hips. Then she smiled. She could never stay cross with him.

"Kanha," she laughed, "you are running everywhere! Come, let us play a game. I will tie you to the big grinding stone. Then you will sit still for a little while."

Krishna giggled. "Try, Maiya!"

Yashoda took a soft rope. She wrapped it around his little tummy. But oh! The ends did not meet. The rope was two fingers short.

"Two fingers short!" she laughed. "Just two fingers short!"

So she brought another rope and tied it on. Now the rope was longer. She wrapped it around Krishna again. And again, the ends did not meet.

"Two fingers short!" said Yashoda, with wide eyes. "Just two fingers short!"

She called the other mothers. "Bring me your ropes!" They came with ropes of every kind. Long ropes, thick ropes, cow ropes, well ropes. Yashoda tied them all together. The rope grew longer and longer. It lay across the floor like a long, lazy river.

She wrapped it around her little Kanha. Everyone leaned in to see.

"Two fingers short!" everyone laughed. "Just two fingers short!"

Krishna's eyes twinkled. His tummy shook with giggles. The more rope they brought, the longer the game went on.

Yashoda was laughing too. But now her hair was coming loose. Tiny drops of sweat sat on her forehead. Her arms were tired from all that rope. Still she kept trying, with so much love.

Krishna looked at his mother's face. He saw how hard she was trying. He saw how much she loved him.

And he smiled a soft smile.

This time, when Yashoda wrapped the rope around him... the ends met! Not even two fingers short.

The whole house went quiet. Then everyone clapped.

Krishna's smile seemed to say, "No rope can hold me, Maiya. But your love can."

Yashoda tied a small, soft knot. Then she looked at her smiling Kanha, and she could not stay away. She scooped him up, rope and all, and hugged him tight. She kissed his buttery cheeks.

Krishna wrapped his little arms around her neck. And that was the strongest knot of all: a hug.

Outside, the cows mooed. The sun was warm. And in Yashoda's arms, little Krishna was exactly where he wanted to be.