Hanuman and the Sun

When Hanuman was a tiny baby, he woke up one morning feeling very hungry. He looked up at the sky and saw the bright, glowing sun. Little Hanuman thought it was a big, juicy red fruit. He decided he would eat it! Baby Hanuman leaped into the sky and started flying towards the sun. He flew higher and higher, getting closer and closer. The Sun God became worried. At the same time, Rahu was also coming to swallow the sun as part of an eclipse. Hanuman thought Rahu was another fruit and chased after him too. Frightened Rahu ran to Indra, the king of gods, for help. Indra threw his powerful thunderbolt at Hanuman. It struck little Hanuman on his chin and he fell down to earth. Hanuman's father, Vayu the Wind God, became very angry. He stopped all the wind from blowing. Every creature began to gasp for air. All the gods rushed together and blessed baby Hanuman with special powers. Each god gave him a unique gift. This is how Hanuman became the mightiest of all. The mark on his chin gave him his name — Hanuman means "one with a broken chin."