The Story of the Crocodile and the Monkey...

Hi!! Today, I'll be telling a funny story from the Panchatantra, about a witty monkey and his escape from death!! Here we go...

A long, long time ago, not in a galaxy very far, far, away, there lived a crocodile. His name was Kuroop. Kuroop was a very happy crocodile! (you must be thinking, why is he telling it like a baby's story?) every day, he had the same old routine. He would plunge into the river of green, and cool off his scalded, coarse skin. Steam emanated from his elephantine skin. "Aaaaahh..." He would float on his back, basking in the extraordinary rays of light that would penetrate his skin like bullets, and warm his khaki, striped belly. The water current would pull him down a serene trip, down tropical banks, which were filled with trees and plants galore. The emerald leaves of the palm trees stretched above the river, providing shade from the blazing, mid-morning sun. Frogs and bugs littered the grassy shore. 

Near the end of his ride, Kuroop saw a fallen log of wood was used as a mass bunker for creepy crawlies. A cat, around the size of a small basket, gradually lifted the log with its mottled paw. The creatures darted out from the log! With rapid reflexes, the cat dived at the fleeing bugs. It grabbed some with its paw. "Scrunch!!!!" The cat squeezed the life out of the insects. Yellow blood oozed from inside the cat's paw, and dripped into the aquamarine water. Kuroop was revolted! How disgusting! A small cascade of water alerted Kuroop. He was at his stop. Kuroop turned on his belly, and peered front. His eyes narrowed. He turned his head left. He turned his head right. He smiled a narrow smile. And so, the dance began.

Kuroop leapt out of the water, and grabbed a fish in his jaw. He roared with power, and bounded into the rapids, chomping fish after fish. The fish were in terror!!! They swam with all of their might, but to no avail. Kuroop munched them, and chomped them, and ripped them up into pieces!! Kuroop held some in his mouth after eating his fill. He swam away, back to his humble abode in the marshes. On his way, he met his good friend, the monkey. "Hello, monkey! How are you?" Kuroop asked. "As good as gold, friend!" the monkey replied. He chucked down some golden mangoes from his home, the mango tree and Kuroop gleefully ate them up!! "Well, I'd best be off! The wife's expecting me!" the monkey waved happily to his comrade, "Bye, mate!" Kuroop swam to the marsh, where his wife was waiting anxiously, " Where were you? I thought a tiger had found you and eaten you!" She was furious. fire was raging in her eyes. "Sorry. I was meeting my friend, the monkey. Did you know that whenever I go to meet him, he gives me these delicious mangoes? Waah! They taste superb!" Kuroop's wife was also salivating, but not for the same reason, "Kuroop, if the monkey eats mangoes every day, his heart must be so sweet! Imagine how delicious it will be! Would you please get it for me tomorrow, dear? Pleeeeeeease?" Kuroop had no other choice but to accept his wife's request...

The next day, Kuroop didn't go to his usual hunting grounds. He didn't go to gobble up the fish. He directly went to the monkey. He greeted the monkey, and said, "O Monkey, would you come home for lunch with me? My wife's dying to meet you..." The monkey was overwhelmed, "Woah! No one has ever asked me out for lunch! Why, of course, I'll come!" Kuroop had mixed feelings. The monkey hopped off of his mango tree, and onto the back of Kuroop. Kuroop started to swim, gaining fear for the life of his bestie. As they got to the middle of their trip, Kuroop slowed down. "What happened, Kuroop? We must reach your home." With that, he came to an absolute stop. "O Monkey, my wife wishes to kill you and eat your heart. You may either die and the hands of my wife, or drown here in this river." Kuroop started sinking into the blue. The monkey was astonished! His eyes drooped. Suddenly, he came up with an idea. " O Kuroop, if you had told me earlier, I would've gone and got my heart from the cavern next to my tree!" Kuroop was confused. Then, he realized. "Ooooh, in that case, we shall go back to your tree to get your heart!" The monkey sniggered at the idea. He agreed to go back and get the heart.

They got to the old mango tree, and Kuroop let the monkey get back onto his tree. "You may go and get your heart. But, you must come back to me." Kuroop added. The monkey scampered up to the top of his tree, and shouted back to the crocodile, "You insolent fool! My heart's been beating right hear, in my chest! Let your wife go and gut herself, the freak she is!" The monkey started to throw rotten mangoes at Kuroop, who was admiring him. "PICHKOOO!!!!" The rotten mangoes landed on Kuroop's face and he got all brown and slimy. He just sat smiling at the monkey, admiring his wit and skill, and how he got out of a life-threatening situation...

Moral of the story: A wise enemy is better than a foolish friend

Hope you liked my Crocodile and Monkey story!!! Follow me to receive notifications on when I post!!!!