The author has woven around a strong environmental message about the damage and destruction that ensues when Man denudes the hill slopes of the forest cover. Trees slow down the flow of water rushing down the slopes, thus preventing floods and soil erosion.

How the raging floods affect the wildlife is the pivotal point of the story, in which all the creatures of the forest gather together to find a solution to the problem.
Little Piddi, the sparrow, informs King Lion that he had a dream in which the sun informed him that the only way they would be able to escape the fury of the clouds was for him to hold up the sky up with his feet.

And so, to this day whenever a bird dies, they lie flat on their backs with their feet up in the air in remembrance of the sacrifice made long ago by a brave little sparrow.

This story of courage and sacrifice mingled into a ‘green’ tale has also found a place in a list of the world’s best books of all times – 1001 BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU GROW UP.