THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE
~Summary~
-by Paul Galdone
The story, "The Monkey and the Crocodile" is an excerpt taken from 'Panchatantra stories'. The story starts with a monkey's desire of wanting a
friend for itself near his place. There came a day when a crocodile comes on its way. The innocent monkey introduces himself to the crocodile
and makes him a good friend.
The monkey regularly offers food for himself and his wife. Both the monkey and the crocodile discuss a lot of things on a routine basis. Then
came a day when their conversation exceeded the usual time. The crocodile's wife was angry because she struggled hard with the little ones.
She demanded for the monkey's heart when her husband returned home.
Initially, the crocodile was adamant in fulfilling his wife's wish. Still, his wife didn't listen and dived into the water. As a dutiful husband, the
crocodile chose to accept his wife's demand instead of safeguarding his friendship. The crocodile invited the innocent monkey for a meal the
next day. The crocodile revealed its plan in the middle of the river. The intelligent monkey used his presence of mind and managed to escape
from the situation. The monkey tactfully told the crocodile that it kept his heart away on the tree it resides.
The foolish crocodile took him back; the monkey jumped on to the tree quickly and relaxed for a while. It bade farewell to the crocodile
offering few fruits. The crocodile realised its mistake and feltterrible for losing such a great friend. The heartbroken crocodile returned
home with an anger towards his wife.
Meaning of difficult words:
~Conclusion~
On reaching the tree, the monkey says a final goodbye to the crocodile. The crocodile sheds tears for having betrayed and lost a true friend.
Their story teaches the value of trust and loyalty in friendship. It also shows that our wisdom can save us from dangerous situations and
foolish friends.