The Monkey and the Crocodile

On the bank of a river there was a huge fig tree. A monkey lived in the tree. Every day he ate figs and looked at the river. One day a crocodile appeared in the river. The monkey threw him a fig. The crocodile loved figs. He came every day and chatted with the monkey. They became friends.

The crocodile took some of the figs home and gave them to his wife. His wife ate the figs and thought: "Who knows how sweet the heart of the monkey who eats these figs every day must be!" She said to her husband, "I want the monkey's heart, or I will die." The crocodile was very sad; he did not want to betray his friend, but his wife insisted.

The next day the crocodile said to the monkey, "My wife invites you to dinner; climb on my back and I'll carry you across." The monkey happily jumped onto the crocodile's back. Right in the middle of the river the crocodile began to sink. "What are you doing?" said the monkey. With a guilty conscience the crocodile told the truth: "My wife wants your heart."

The monkey was not frightened for even a moment. "My friend," he said, "why didn't you say so at the start? We monkeys always leave our hearts in the tree; we never carry them with us. Take me back, I'll get my heart, and we'll take it to your wife."

The crocodile believed this and turned back. As soon as the monkey reached the bank he sprang into the tree and climbed to the highest branch. "Foolish crocodile," he said, "is there a living creature without a heart? You betrayed our friendship; the friendship is over. And so are the figs."

The crocodile dived into the river in shame. He went back to his wife empty-handed and said, "I will never sell my friend again." The monkey ate his figs alone, but in peace. Because whoever keeps their wits protects their heart, even in the narrowest place.