The Two Old Women and the Crocodile

An old woman was going down to the river with a washbasin full of dirty clothes, when she

heard something rustling in the bushes near her. She was shocked to see a very large

crocodile only so near.

"Please do not run away, old woman," the crocodile said. "I have a favor to ask you."

The old woman remained rooted where she stood, more out of fear than curiosity.

"In a cave near here I have hidden away my three hatchlings. They are restless little things,

and I cannot be with them all the time. I beg you, watch over them while I am away hunting,

and I shall reward you richly."

The crocodile led the stupefied old woman to her cave. Sure enough, three crocodile babies

were there, fierce- looking and listless. For a moment the old woman was afraid the crocodile

mother would feed her to the ugly little things, but she could not even command her feet to

run away.

So, since she could not run, the old woman said she would do as she was bidden. The

crocodile thanked her politely and then stepped out of the cave. The old woman was left with

the three hatchlings, and since she could do nothing with them, she decided to lull them to

sleep.
She cradled the hatchlings in her arms as if they were human children, and sang them a gentle

lullaby. When the mother crocodile returned, a few hours before dusk, she found her babies

peacefully at rest in the old woman's arms. She was very thankful to the old woman.

"I had promised you a reward," she said. "Go to the bamboo plant just beside the entrance to

this cave. Strike it with your fist three times and it will pour gold for you."

The old woman trusted the crocodile. She went to the bamboo plant and struck it three times

with her fist. And soon enough, a tear appeared in one of the bamboo shafts, and gold poured

onto her shaking hands. She took as much gold as she could carry, and then fled the site of

the cave. With that much gold in her possession, she did not have to go down to the river to

do the washing again, and so she never saw the kind crocodile again.

On the other hand, the old woman had a neighbor who became curious when she saw the old

woman rushing home with an unusually heavy washbasin. She spied on