Once upon a time, in a dense jungle, a clever monkey lived on a huge mango tree beside a river. The tree bore the sweetest mangoes, and the monkey spent his days eating the delicious fruit and playing among the branches.
One day, a crocodile swam to the riverbank, looking tired and hungry. The kind-hearted monkey saw him and said, “You look weak, my friend. Here, take some of these juicy mangoes.” The crocodile gratefully ate the mangoes and soon became friends with the monkey. Every day, the monkey would throw down fresh mangoes, and the crocodile would happily eat them.
One evening, the crocodile told his wife about his kind friend and the sweet mangoes. His wife, being greedy and cunning, said, “If the mangoes are so delicious, imagine how sweet the monkey’s heart must be! Bring me his heart, and we shall feast on it.”
The crocodile was horrified, but he could not refuse his wife. The next day, he went to the monkey and said, “Dear friend, my wife wants to meet you. She has heard so much about your kindness. Please come home with me.”
The monkey was hesitant. “But I cannot swim,” he said.
“Don’t worry,” the crocodile assured him. “I will carry you on my back.”
Trusting his friend, the monkey climbed onto the crocodile’s back. As they reached the middle of the river, the crocodile laughed wickedly and said, “Foolish monkey! My wife does not want to meet you—she wants to eat your heart!”
The clever monkey stayed calm. Thinking quickly, he said, “Oh, my dear friend! You should have told me earlier. I don’t carry my heart with me—it is safely hidden in the tree. Take me back, and I’ll give it to you.”
The crocodile, not realizing he was being tricked, turned around and swam back to the tree. As soon as they reached the shore, the monkey leaped off the crocodile’s back and climbed up to safety.
Looking down, he laughed and said, “You betrayed our friendship! Now go back and tell your wife she will never have my heart. A true friend never betrays trust.”
The crocodile, ashamed of his foolishness, swam away, knowing he had lost both a friend and the delicious mangoes forever.
Moral of the story: Intelligence and quick thinking can save you from even the trickiest situations.
