The Crocodile and the Monkey - In New Colour

I have given new colour to the popular story. Just read and enjoy.

Once near a river in the forest, there grew an orchard of mango trees, on which lived a monkey. He ate mangoes daily. One day, when he was eating a mango, he noticed a crocodile lying on the river bank. He was there to bask in sun.

The mango was happy to see a strange animal. He thought of making him a friend. He called, "Hello, friend, would you like to eat a mango?"

"I eat meat and not plants, but you can still give one to me," said the crocodile.

The monkey plucked a red, ripe mango and threw it to him. The crocodile caught it direct in his mouth. As he squeezed it, its juice flowed and he found it really delicious. "Wow! It is so delicious. Give me some more."

The monkey smiled and threw more mangoes. This continued over several days. The two had become good friends. They will talk over a long time. Sometimes the crocodile took mangoes for his wife too.

A few days later, the crocodile said, "Dear friend, I told my wife about you, a wonderful friend of mine, and she has invited you to lunch today. Can you come?"

"O yes, I will be really pleased to accompany you, but I don’t know how to swim," said the monkey.

"That is no problem, you can ride me," offered the crocodile.

At once the monkey climbed down the tree and sat on the crocodile, who immediately started to float on the water. A little later, the monkey noticed water flowing down the crocodile's eyes. He asked, "You seem to be crying. Are you all right?"

"Dear monkey," said the crocodile, "you are my only friend, but my wife has forced me to take you to her. I am helpless to cheat you. She says that you eat such delicious mangoes, so your heart must be very delicious too. She wants to eat your heart."

The monkey was bewildered to hear this. He quickly thought and said, "Well, crocodile, that is not at all a problem, but you should have told me this earlier. Actually, you know I keep swinging from tree to tree, and to protect my heart from shattering down, I keep it in a tree hollow. Anyway I don’t need it. You can happily take it for your wife. Let us go and bring it."

The foolish crocodile was taken in. He swam back to the river bank, where the monkey jumped off and climbed up a tree, and said, "You foolish fellow! I know you are helpless, but then you are a fool too. A foolish friend can put you in trouble, so we are friends no more."

The crocodile felt ashamed and went away with a heavy heart.