THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE
once there lived a monkey in a jamun tree near
by a river. the monkey was alone - he had no friend, no family, but he was happy
and content. the jamun tree gave him plenty of sweet fruit to eat. and shade
from the sun and shelter from the rain.
one day a crocodile came swimming
up the river and climbed onto the
bank to rest under the monkey's tree. "Hello," called the monkey, who
was a friendly animal. "Hello", replied the crocodile, surprised.
"Do you know where i can get more food?" he asked. "I haven't
had anything to eat all day - there just
don't seem to be any fish left in the
river."
"well", said the monkey. "I
don't eat fish so i wouldn't know , but i do have plenty of ripe purple jamuns
in my tree. would you like to try some?" He threw some down to the
crocodile. the crocodile was so hungry that he ate up all the jamuns even
though crocodile don't eat fruit. he loved the sweet tangy fruit and shyly asked whether he could have some more.
"of course," replied the monkey generously, throwing down more
fruits. "come back whenever you fell like more fruit," he added
when the crocodile had eaten his fill.
after that the crocodile would visit the monkey
every day. the two animal soon become friends - they would talk and tell each other stories, and eat as
much of the sweet jamuns as they wanted. The monkey threw down all the fruit
the crocodile wanted from his tree.
one day the crocodile began talking about his wife and family. "why didn't tell me
earlier that you had a wife?" asked the monkey. "please take some of
the jamuns for her as well when you go
back today. "the crocodile thanked
him and took same of the fruit for his wife.
the crocodile's wife loved the jamuns. she had
never eaten anything so sweet before. "imagine," she said, "how
sweet would be the creature who eats these jamuns every day! the monkey has
eaten these every day of his life - his flesh would be even
sweeter than the fruit. "she asked her husband to invite the monkey for a
meal - "and then we can eat him up," she said happily.
the crocodile was appalled - how cloud he eat
his friend? he tried to explain to his wife that he could not possibly eat the
monkey. "He is my only true friend. he said. but she would not listen -
she must eat the monkey. "since when
do crocodiles eat fruits and spare animals?" she asked. When the crocodile
would not agree to eat the monkey. she pretended to fall very sick. "only
a memory's heart can cure me," she walled to her husband. "if you
love me, you will get your friend the monkey and let me eat his heart."
the poor crocodile did not know what to do - he
did not want to eat his friend, but he could not let his wife die. at last he
decided to bring the monkey to his wife.
"o dear friend," he called as soon as
reached the jamun tree. "my wife insist that that you come to us for a
meal. she is grateful for all the fruits that you have sent her, and asks that
i bring you home with me." The monkey was flattered, but said, he could
not possibly go because he did not know how swim. "don't worry about
that" said the crocodile . i'll carry you on my back. "the monkey
agreed and jumped onto the crocodile's back . the crocodile swam with him out
into the deep wide river. When
they were far away from the bank and the jamun tree, he said , "My
wife is very ill. the only thing that will cure her is a monkey's heart. so,
dear friend, this will be the end of you and of
our friendship." the monkey was horrified. What could he do to save
himself? he thought quickly and said. "dear friend, i am very sorry to hear
of your wife's illness and I’m glad that i will be able to help her, but i have left my heart behind
on the jamun tree. do you think we could go back so that i can fetch it for your wife?"
the crocodile believed the monkey , he turned
and swam quickly to the jamun tree. the monkey leaped off his back and into the
safety of his tree, "false and foolish friend," he called.
"don't you know that we carry our
hearts within us? i will never
trust you again or ever give you fruit from my tree. Go away and don't
come back again." The
crocodile felt really foolish - he had
lost a friend and a supply of good sweet fruit. the monkey had saved himself
because he had thought quickly. he
realized that a monkey and crocodile could never be true friends - crocodiles
preferred to eat monkeys rather than be friends with them.
