The Monkey and the Crocodile

Long ago, a wise monkey lived on a rose-apple tree by the river. He befriended a crocodile and shared the sweet fruits with him every day. The crocodile took some home for his wife. One day his wife grew jealous and demanded the monkey's heart to eat, claiming it must be the sweetest of all. The crocodile, torn between friendship and his wife, finally invited the monkey for a meal on the other bank. Mid-river, the crocodile confessed his plan. The monkey, frightened but composed, said, "Oh dear friend — but I left my heart up in the tree! Take me back so I may fetch it." The crocodile swam back. The monkey leapt up to safety and called down, "A heart never leaves its body, foolish friend. And friendship cannot live where trust is broken." **Moral:** Quick thinking saves lives. Real friendship rests on trust, not on what one can take from the other.