The Monkey and the Crocodile

Once, by a wide river, there was a big tree. The tree was full of sweet, juicy rose apples.

In the tree lived a monkey. He liked to climb. He liked to swing. And he liked to eat the sweet rose apples.

One day, a crocodile swam up to the tree. He rested his chin on the riverbank. “Hello,” said the crocodile. “I am hungry. Those fruits look good.”

The monkey was kind. He picked some rose apples and threw them down. The crocodile ate them. Crunch, crunch. “Thank you!” said the crocodile. “They are so sweet.”

The crocodile came back the next day, and the next day, and the next. The monkey always shared his fruit. They became friends.

One day, the monkey said, “Please take some fruit home to your wife.” So the crocodile took some rose apples to Mrs Crocodile.

Mrs Crocodile loved the fruit. But she was greedy. She said, “If the monkey eats these sweet fruits every day, his heart must be very sweet too. Bring the monkey here. I want his heart.”

The crocodile felt worried. “But he is my friend,” he said. But Mrs Crocodile would not stop asking. So the crocodile made a plan.

The next day, the crocodile said to the monkey, “My wife wants to say thank you for the fruit. Please come to our home for dinner. Climb on my back, and I will carry you across the river.”

The monkey felt happy. He jumped onto the crocodile’s back. The crocodile began to swim. Swish, swish, swish.

In the middle of the river, the crocodile stopped. “I am sorry, friend,” he said. “My wife does not really want to say thank you. She wants your heart.”

The monkey felt very scared. The water was deep all around. He could not swim. His heart was beating fast.

But the monkey took a slow breath. He stayed calm. He thought hard. Then he had an idea.

“Oh, crocodile!” said the monkey. “Why did you not tell me before? Monkeys do not carry their hearts with them. I left my heart up in the rose apple tree. We must go back and get it.”

The crocodile believed him. He turned around. Swish, swish, swish. He swam back to the tree.

As soon as they reached the bank, the monkey jumped off. He climbed high, high up into the tree. He was safe.

“Where is your heart?” called the crocodile. The monkey looked down. “My heart is inside me, where it always is,” he said. “You tried to trick me. A true friend would not do that.”

The crocodile felt ashamed. He hung his head. Slowly, he swam away down the river.

The monkey stayed in his tree. He ate his sweet rose apples. He felt safe. He was glad he had stayed calm and used his clever thinking. The end.