4.1 Panchtantra - The Monkey and The Crocodile

Long ago, there was big blackberry tree near banks of a river on which lived a monkey. The monkey ate the fruits from the tree and leapt its branches all day through.

One afternoon, a giant crocodile came to rest under the tree. The monkey saw the crocodile and became eager to talk to him.

The monkey said, "Dear crocodile, your are resting under the tree I live on. You are my guest and it my duty to offer you food". So the monkey offered many berry fruits to the crocodile. The crocodile ate a lot. He thanked the monkey and in the evening left for home.

Soon the monkey and crocodile became good friends. The crocodile would come everyday come under the tree. They would spend time talking to each other and ate berries together. One day before the crocodile left, he asked the monkey to give him some berries for his wife. The monkey happily gave him some berries and said bye for the day.

The crocodile's wife liked the berries very much. She thought if the fruits are so sweet, then the monkey who eats these fruits daily much be very sweet. She told this to the crocodile and asked him to get the monkey’s heart for her. But the crocodile was shocked to hear this. He told his wife that the monkey is his friend and he would not cheat him. But the crocodile wife was cunning and she convinced him to get the monkey's heart.

Next day, the crocodile went under the tree and told the monkey that since they had been good friends for quite sometime, the crocodile's wife was keen to meet him and had invited him home for lunch.

The ignorant monkey believed the crocodile. But he said, "I don’t know how to swim. How will I reach your home?" The crocodile replied, " Don’t worry friend. I will carry you on my back.”

The monkey sat on the crocodile's back.

The crocodile entered deep waters to kill monkey. He knew that the monkey could not escape from deep waters as he did not know how to swim, so he told monkey about his evil intentions. The monkey was shocked and hurt to hear this. The monkey was witty and had great presence of mind. He cheerful said, "O my dear friend it would be grateful if I am able to serve your wife. But I keep my heart safe in the hollow of the tree. We must immediately go back and get the heart."

The foolish crocodile believed the monkey and swam back to the bank of blackberry tree where the monkey lived. Reaching the bank, the monkey quickly jumped off the crocodile's back and climbed the tree. He cried aloud, "You cheated me. No one take heart out and keep it. It was trick I played to save my life. You are unfaithful and foolish. Now go back and never come here."

The crocodile was ashamed and felt sorry. He went back home ad never came to rest under the blackberry tree on which the monkey.

Moral: Presence of mind precedes strategy and plan.