The Clever Monkey and the Foolish Crocodile

Once upon a time, in a lush forest, a clever monkey lived happily in a tree that bore delicious, juicy rose apples. One fine day, a crocodile swam up to the tree and, feeling famished, asked the monkey for food.

The kind-hearted monkey, always eager to help, offered the crocodile a few rose apples. The crocodile enjoyed them so much that he asked if he could return for more the next day. The monkey, ever generous, agreed, and soon the two became good friends, meeting daily to share stories of their lives.

As time passed, the crocodile told the monkey about his wife who lived across the river. The monkey, always kind, offered the crocodile extra apples to take home to his wife. She too loved the apples, and soon, the crocodile was bringing her apples every day.

However, as the days went by, the crocodile’s wife grew envious of the close friendship between her husband and the monkey. She began to plot a way to end their friendship and secretly desired the monkey’s heart, believing it would taste sweet.

One day, she pretended to be ill and convinced her husband that she could only be cured if she ate a monkey’s heart. The crocodile, torn between his love for his wife and his friendship with the monkey, was forced to agree to her request. He invited the monkey to cross the river, promising that his wife wanted to meet him.

The monkey, unaware of the wife’s wicked plans, gladly accepted. As they reached the middle of the river, the crocodile suddenly started sinking. The terrified monkey asked what was happening, and the crocodile confessed that he was planning to kill him to fulfill his wife’s wishes.

The clever monkey remained calm and quickly thought of a plan. “Oh, dear crocodile,” he said, “I would be happy to give my heart to save your wife, but I left it behind in the tree. If you turn back, I’ll get my heart and give it to you.”

The foolish crocodile, eager to please his wife, quickly turned around and swam back to the tree. The monkey, seizing the opportunity, swiftly climbed up the tree and escaped to safety.

“Tell your wife,” the monkey called out, “that she married the biggest fool in the world!”

Moral of the story: Never underestimate yourself. There are always bigger fools in the world, and sometimes, intelligence and quick thinking can save the day.