The monkey and the crocodile

Once there lived a clever monkey on the banks of a river. He

dwelt on a blackberry tree and feasted often on the delicious
blackberries.

And in the river, there dwelt a huge crocodile. Its home was at
the other end of the river, but it spent most of its days near
where the monkey was.
Now, the monkey was by no means selfish. He was a kind and
friendly monkey who liked to share. So he used to pluck out
some blackberries for the crocodile too and throw them down
to him. The crocodile of course was quite happy at this friendly
gesture and more so with the delicious blackberries. He spent
many a happy day, feasting on those blackberries.
One day, the crocodile took some of the blackberries home to
his wife. She enjoyed the delicious berries. But unfortunately,
she did not, like a good crocodile, stop at that. She wanted
nothing less than the monkey's heart! "That fellow practically
lives on these sweet berries, he must be full of them. Imagine
how sweet his heart must be," thought the crocodile's greedy
wife. "I must have the monkey's heart! And I must have it
now!" was the command. And the poor crocodile set off to do
her bidding.
He reached back the blackberry tree where the monkey dwelt.
The monkey was most surprised. "You just went back home,
didn't you? How come you are back again, today," he
exclaimed. "My wife has sent me back to invite you home for
dinner," the crafty crocodile said. "She wishes to thank you for
those delicious blackberries. I took home some for her today."

"But my friend, your home is across the river and I cannot

swim," cried the monkey. "You can jump on to my back and I
shall take you home across the river," offered the crocodile.
And the unsuspecting monkey set off with the crocodile.

Halfway through the river, the curious monkey asked, "What is

to be for dinner, my friend". And the crocodile blurted out,
"You are, you poor fellow. You are going to be our dinner. My
wife wants to eat your heart!"

The monkey was stunned. He had not expected this

treachery. And he was in the middle of the river, not knowing
how to swim! So he could not just jump off too. But the
monkey kept his wits about him. He thought and thought and
soon hatched a plan to outwit the crocodile, whom he knew
was not so very smart. He began to talk in very sweet tones.
"My dear friend," the monkey said, "Why didn't you tell me
about this before we set off? I would be delighted for you to
eat my heart since you feel it is so sweet, but don't you know,
we monkeys keep our hearts outside our bodies. My heart is
right now on the blackberry tree." The foolish crocodile was
puzzled. "What should I do now," he cried. "My wife is
expecting your heart." "Then you had better not disappoint
her, turn around and take me back to the tree, so that I can
get my heart and then come with you," the clever monkey
suggested. And the foolish crocodile did exactly that!
And soon the crocodile reached back the river bank. The
monkey took a flying leap and landed back on the safety of his
home on the blackberry tree. "You utterly ungrateful fellow,"
he cried. "Is this the way you repay my friendship? You were
going to kill me forgetting the hundreds of days you spent in
my company and eating my blackberries. Thank God you are
so foolish. Do you really think anyone can have their heart
outside their body? My heart is very much within me. And as
for you, cruel and ungrateful fellow, you have no heart at all.
Now, get off my sight and never come back."
The foolish crocodile sadly went back having lost the
monkey's friendship and the endless supply of blackberries