Monkey & Crocodile

Once upon a time, a monkey lived in a tree by the banks of a river. One day, a crocodile came swimming near the tree and the monkey, curious and friendly, offered him some fruits. The crocodile enjoyed the fruits and the two became good friends.

The crocodile, however, had a wife at home, who grew jealous of the monkey’s friendship with her husband. She asked him to bring the monkey to her, so that she could eat his heart. The crocodile, torn between his friendship with the monkey and his wife’s wishes, finally agreed.

The next day, the crocodile invited the monkey to come to his home on the other side of the river. The monkey, trusting his friend, agreed and climbed onto the crocodile’s back. As they were crossing the river, the crocodile suddenly revealed his plan: he was going to kill the monkey and give his heart to his wife.

The monkey, startled, remained calm and said, “I am so sorry, but I forgot to bring my heart with me today. It’s still in the tree. If you take me back, I can bring it for you.”

The crocodile, not suspecting anything, turned around and swam back to the tree. Once the monkey was on solid ground, he quickly jumped to safety, saying, “Foolish crocodile! You thought I would trust you with my life? Now, I will never be your friend again!”

The monkey taught the crocodile an important lesson — not to betray his friends.