By the bank of a wide river stood a tall jamun tree, heavy with sweet purple fruit. In it lived a cheerful monkey.
One day a crocodile swam up to rest in the shade. The monkey dropped him some jamun fruit. “Delicious!” said the crocodile. And so a friendship began. Every day, the monkey shared his fruit, and the crocodile told stories of the river.
A dangerous wish
The crocodile took some fruit home to his wife. She loved it — and then had a wicked thought. “If the fruit is this sweet,” she said, “imagine how sweet the heart of the monkey who eats it every day must be. Bring me his heart.”
The crocodile did not want to harm his friend, but he did not know how to refuse his wife.
The ride across the river
The next day, the crocodile said, “Friend, my wife wants to thank you. Come to our home for dinner. Climb on my back and I will carry you across.”
Halfway across the deep water, the crocodile felt guilty and told the truth. “I am sorry — my wife wants your heart.”
Quick thinking
The monkey was frightened, but he stayed calm. “Oh dear!” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me before? I keep my heart safe in the jamun tree. Take me back and I will fetch it for her.”
The foolish crocodile turned around. As soon as they reached the bank, the monkey leapt high into the tree.
“My heart is inside me, where it always is,” he called down. “And our friendship is over. A true friend would never have tried to harm me.”
What the story teaches
- Stay calm in danger. A clear head finds a way out.
- Think before you trust. Kindness is good, but wisdom must guide it.
- A real friend protects you, even when others ask them not to.
Questions to ask after reading: What would you have done if you were the monkey? What should the crocodile have said to his wife?
