The Monkey and the Crocodile: An Indian Panchatantra Tale of Friendship, Cleverness, and Deceit
The Monkey and the Crocodile: An Indian Panchatantra Tale of Friendship, Cleverness, and Deceit
The Monkey and the Crocodile: Once upon
a time, in a lush and green forest in India, there was a river that flowed with
crystal-clear water, and along its banks grew a tall, old mango tree. The mango
tree was unlike any other in the forest because it bore the juiciest, most
delicious fruits, glowing a golden-yellow in the sunlight. And high in its
branches lived a clever little monkey named Ramu. Ramu had big, sparkling eyes,
nimble fingers, and a joyful spirit. He spent his days leaping from branch to
branch, eating sweet mangoes, and enjoying the cool shade of his tree.
One sunny
morning, as Ramu was happily munching on a juicy mango, he noticed a large
crocodile resting on the riverbank below. This crocodile, named Kallu, looked a
bit lonely as he lay there, half in the water and half on the muddy shore.
Ramu, being friendly and curious, decided to strike up a conversation with him.
"Hello
down there!" Ramu called from his tree. "What brings you to this part
of the river?"
The
crocodile looked up, surprised to hear a voice from above. When he saw the
little monkey peering down at him, he opened his wide, toothy grin and replied,
"Oh, I’m just resting here, enjoying the day. But those mangoes you have
look so delicious! I’ve never had the chance to taste one."
Ramu
laughed, feeling generous, and tossed a ripe mango down to the crocodile. Kallu
eagerly caught it in his jaws, savoring the sweet, juicy flavor as he munched
away. It was the best thing he had ever tasted, and from that day on, Kallu
would often visit the riverbank to chat with Ramu and enjoy the mangoes that
the kind monkey shared with him.
Over
time, the two became close friends. Every day, Kallu would visit Ramu, and they
would talk about life in the forest and share laughs. Ramu would entertain
Kallu with stories about his adventures in the trees, and Kallu, in turn, would
tell Ramu about the creatures he encountered underwater. They spent many hours
together, and their bond of friendship grew stronger with each passing day.
But
little did Ramu know, Kallu had a wife who was very different from him. She was
a clever and somewhat cunning crocodile, and she had been watching Kallu return
home every day with a belly full of mangoes. One day, she grew curious and
asked him about it.
"Dear
Kallu," she said, "every day you come home with this strange
sweetness about you. Where are you getting this delicious food?"
Kallu,
excited to share his new friendship, told his wife all about Ramu, the kind
monkey who lived in the mango tree. He described how Ramu would give him the
most delicious mangoes every day, and how they had become the best of friends.
But
Kallu’s wife wasn’t pleased. Instead, a sneaky thought came to her mind.
"If the mangoes this monkey eats are so sweet, just imagine how sweet his
heart must be! I’d like to eat that monkey’s heart, dear husband," she
said with a mischievous glint in her eye.
Kallu was
horrified at the thought of harming his friend. "No, no, I can’t do
that!" he protested. "Ramu is my friend. He’s kind and generous and
has done nothing but share his mangoes with me."
But his
wife wouldn’t take no for an answer. She nagged and pleaded, saying, "If
you really loved me, you’d bring me what I ask for! Think about how sweet it
would be. Besides, you can always make new friends. Don’t you care about me,
Kallu?"
The
crocodile felt torn. He didn’t want to betray his friend, but he also wanted to
make his wife happy. In the end, he reluctantly agreed, though his heart felt
heavy with guilt.
The next
day, Kallu went to the riverbank as usual, and Ramu greeted him cheerfully from
his tree. However, this time, Kallu put on a big smile and said, "Ramu, my
friend, I have something exciting to tell you! My wife has heard all about our
friendship and the delicious mangoes you share with me. She’s eager to meet you
and wants to invite you to our home on the other side of the river for a meal.
I can take you on my back and give you a ride across the river. You’ll be safe
with me!"
Ramu felt
honored by the invitation and was excited to meet Kallu’s family. He hopped
down from the tree and climbed onto Kallu’s broad back, holding on as the
crocodile slowly swam out into the river. The water was calm, and Ramu enjoyed
the gentle ride as he looked around at the shimmering surface.
But as
they reached the middle of the river, where the water was deepest, Kallu
suddenly stopped and began to sink lower into the water.
"Kallu!
What are you doing?" Ramu asked, startled by the crocodile’s strange
behavior.
Kallu
sighed deeply, realizing he couldn’t hide the truth any longer. "I’m so
sorry, Ramu. My wife wants to eat your heart, and I promised to bring you to
her. She believes that since you eat so many sweet mangoes, your heart must
taste as sweet as honey."
Ramu was
shocked and frightened. He thought quickly, understanding that he needed to
come up with a clever plan to save himself. Pretending to be calm, he said,
"Oh, Kallu! I wish you had told me earlier. I would be more than happy to
share my heart with your wife. But I left my heart back on the mango tree. You
see, monkeys like me always leave their hearts safely in the tree when we go
out. If you take me back, I’ll gladly give it to you."
Kallu,
who wasn’t the brightest crocodile, believed Ramu’s story. He turned around and
started swimming back toward the riverbank, relieved that his friend was
willing to part with his heart so generously. When they reached the bank, Ramu
leaped off Kallu’s back and scrambled up the mango tree to safety.
From high
in the branches, he looked down at Kallu and laughed. "Oh, Kallu! You
silly crocodile! Don’t you know that a monkey’s heart is always inside him? I
trusted you, but you tried to betray me. Now go home to your wife and tell her
she won’t be eating my heart or enjoying any more mangoes!"
Kallu
felt ashamed and regretful. He realized that he had lost a true friend by
giving in to his wife’s greedy demands. He lowered his head and slowly swam
away, understanding that he would never taste another mango from the kind
monkey, nor would he ever enjoy his friendship again.
From that
day forward, Ramu continued to live happily in his mango tree, eating the sweet
fruits and sharing them with the other animals of the forest. He remained
cautious, but he never lost his cheerful spirit and his willingness to help
others. Meanwhile, Kallu learned a valuable lesson about trust and betrayal,
and he lived with the regret of losing a friend as wise and loyal as Ramu.
Moral of
the Story:
The story
of The Monkey and the Crocodile from Panchatantra tale teaches us the importance of loyalty,
honesty, and trust in friendships. It reminds us that giving in to greed or
deceitful desires can lead to the loss of something truly valuable, like a
close friend. Cleverness and quick thinking, as shown by Ramu, can also help us
navigate dangerous situations. Above all, the story illustrates that betrayal
harms not only others but also ourselves, leaving us with regret and sadness.
Read more:
No comments