"The Clever Monkey and the Greedy Crocodile"

Once upon a time, in a lush green forest, there was a beautiful river that flowed calmly through the land. On the bank of this river stood a tall, old jamun (blackberry) tree. This tree bore sweet, delicious fruits all year round. A clever and kind-hearted monkey lived on this tree. He loved his life, swinging from branch to branch, eating juicy jamuns, and enjoying the peaceful surroundings.

One hot afternoon, as the monkey was resting on a branch, he noticed a crocodile swimming toward the riverbank. The crocodile looked tired and hungry. The monkey, being generous and kind, plucked a few jamuns and threw them down to the crocodile. “Here, friend, have some of these delicious fruits,” he said.

The crocodile gratefully accepted the fruits and ate them eagerly. He had never tasted anything so sweet in his life. “These jamuns are amazing!” the crocodile exclaimed. “Thank you, kind monkey. You’ve helped me when I needed it most.”

The monkey smiled. “You’re welcome, my friend. Come by anytime you’re hungry.”

From that day onwards, the crocodile visited the monkey regularly. Every day, the monkey would pluck fresh jamuns and offer them to the crocodile. They soon became good friends, sharing stories and laughing together, even though one lived on land and the other in water.

One day, the crocodile stayed a little longer than usual. When he returned home, he told his wife about his new friend, the monkey, and the sweet jamuns he received every day. Curious, his wife asked, “What do these jamuns taste like?”

“They’re incredibly sweet and juicy,” said the crocodile. “The monkey eats them all the time.”

Hearing this, the crocodile's wife had an idea—an evil one. “If the monkey eats such sweet fruits every day, just imagine how sweet his heart must be! I want to eat that monkey’s heart. Bring him to me!”

The crocodile was shocked. “What? He’s my friend! I can’t do that to him.”

But the wife was stubborn and insisted, “If you don’t bring him, I’ll stop eating and fall sick. You have to choose between me and your friend.”

Torn between his friendship and his wife’s demands, the crocodile sadly agreed. The next day, he went to visit the monkey, pretending everything was normal. “Dear friend,” he said, “You’ve always shared your fruits with me. Today, I want to return the favor. Come visit my home and meet my wife. We’ll serve you a delicious meal.”

The monkey was hesitant at first. “I can’t swim, how will I cross the river?”

“Don’t worry,” said the crocodile. “Climb on my back, I’ll take you across.”

Trusting his friend, the monkey climbed onto the crocodile’s back, and they began their journey across the river. As they reached the deeper part, the crocodile suddenly slowed down.

“What’s wrong?” the monkey asked.

The crocodile sighed and confessed, “I’m sorry, my friend. I didn’t bring you to meet my wife. She wants to eat your heart. She believes it must be sweet because of the jamuns you eat.”

The monkey was shocked but remained calm. He quickly thought of a plan. “Oh, dear friend! If only you had told me earlier! I don’t carry my heart with me. I keep it safe in the tree. If you take me back, I can give it to you.”

The crocodile, though not very clever, believed the monkey and turned back toward the riverbank. As soon as they reached the shore, the monkey jumped off the crocodile’s back and climbed swiftly up the tree.

“You foolish crocodile!” he shouted from the top. “How can anyone live without a heart? Go away and never come back. You betrayed my trust.”

The crocodile felt ashamed and sorry. “I’m truly sorry, my friend. I made a terrible mistake.”

But the monkey didn’t reply. He had learned an important lesson—never to trust someone blindly, no matter how close they seem.

From that day onwards, the crocodile never returned to that part of the river, and the monkey continued to live happily on his jamun tree, wiser and more careful than before.

Moral: Never betray a friend’s trust, and always think quickly in difficult situations