Once upon a time there lived a monkey on a rose-apple tree. The tree stood on the bank of a river.
One day a crocodile come out of the river. He went near the tree and looked up. He saw the monkey on the tree and said, "Friend, I am a crocodile. I have swum a long distance to came to this place. I am very hungry. Will you please drop down same food for me? "
"Most willingly," said the monkey. "Here! Take these." So saying, he plucked a few rose-apples and threw them down.
One day a crocodile come out of the river. He went near the tree and looked up. He saw the monkey on the tree and said, "Friend, I am a crocodile. I have swum a long distance to came to this place. I am very hungry. Will you please drop down same food for me? "
"Most willingly," said the monkey. "Here! Take these." So saying, he plucked a few rose-apples and threw them down.
The crocodile ate the rose -apples. He liked them very much. He asked the monkey if he could come there everyday to eat the fruit.
"You are most welcome," said the monkey. "From today onwards, you are my guest. You can have as many rose-apple as you like."
So the crocodile came the next day and the next. Everyday the monkey gave him some rose-apples to eat. Soon they became close friends.
One day the monkey said to the crocodile, "Friend, why don't you take home some fruit for your wife?"
"Certainly," replied the crocodile, "If you can spare some for her."
So the monkey gave him some rose-apples for his wife. The crocodile went home that dat with the monkey's gift. The crocodile's wife was delighted with the fruit and told her husband to bring her some more everyday.
The next day, the crocodile told the monkey of his wife's wish. The monkey gladly agreed to help. He started giving the best of rose-apples for the crocodile's wife.
But the crocodile's wife had a wicked idea. She said to her husband , "Your friend, the monkey, feeds on these sweet rose-apples. So his heart must also be as sweet as the fruit he eats. I must taste the monkey's heart. If you love me, you will bring me his heart to eat. I shall never be satisfied till eat that monkey's heart. If you don't get it for me, I promise you, I will die."
On hearing his wife's words, the crocodile felt very sad. He did not want to kill his dear friends, the monkey. At the same time, he could not displease his wife and let her die. He did not know what to do.
At last crocodile went to the monkey, shedding tears all the way. The monkey asked him why he was looking so sad and ill. "Oh! It is nothing, " replied the crocodile. "I am quite all right. But my wife is angry with me for not inviting you home. She says that you have been so good to us. Now it is our turn to invite you to our house. Will you come with me today and have dinner with us?"
"That is very kind of you," said the monkey. "I would have been very happy to come. But how is it possible? I live in a tree. You live in a water. I cannot swim. I shall drown if i try to cross the river."
"Don't worry about that," said the crocodile. "I'll take you across the river quite safely on my broad back."
So the monkey jumped on the crocodile's back and they set out.In the middle of the river. the crocodile stopped. He wanted to tell the monkey why he was taking him to his house. "My wife is very sick," he told his friend. "She desires to eat your heart. If she doesn't she says she will die."
The monkey was shocked hear this. He realised that his life was danger. But he was has clever as he was brave. He thought for a while and said, "My dear friend, I wish you had told me this before i left my dwelling place; I never carry my heart with me when i go out. I leave my heart in a hole in the trunk of the rose-apple tree. Now we will have to go all the way back to get it."
The foolish crocodile believed him and swiftly turned back and swam in the direction of the rose-apple tree.The moment they reached the river bank, the monkey jumped off quickly. Then he climbed up to the safety of a high branch of the tree. Once there, he called out to the crocodile and said, "You idiot, how could you ever believe that my heart is in the tree? How can I live without my heart? Now go back and tell your wife that she is married to greatest fool on earth! Ungrateful and deceitful as you are, you are unworthy to be my friend. Go away, and never show me your face again."
"You are most welcome," said the monkey. "From today onwards, you are my guest. You can have as many rose-apple as you like."
So the crocodile came the next day and the next. Everyday the monkey gave him some rose-apples to eat. Soon they became close friends.
One day the monkey said to the crocodile, "Friend, why don't you take home some fruit for your wife?"
"Certainly," replied the crocodile, "If you can spare some for her."
So the monkey gave him some rose-apples for his wife. The crocodile went home that dat with the monkey's gift. The crocodile's wife was delighted with the fruit and told her husband to bring her some more everyday.
The next day, the crocodile told the monkey of his wife's wish. The monkey gladly agreed to help. He started giving the best of rose-apples for the crocodile's wife.
But the crocodile's wife had a wicked idea. She said to her husband , "Your friend, the monkey, feeds on these sweet rose-apples. So his heart must also be as sweet as the fruit he eats. I must taste the monkey's heart. If you love me, you will bring me his heart to eat. I shall never be satisfied till eat that monkey's heart. If you don't get it for me, I promise you, I will die."
On hearing his wife's words, the crocodile felt very sad. He did not want to kill his dear friends, the monkey. At the same time, he could not displease his wife and let her die. He did not know what to do.
At last crocodile went to the monkey, shedding tears all the way. The monkey asked him why he was looking so sad and ill. "Oh! It is nothing, " replied the crocodile. "I am quite all right. But my wife is angry with me for not inviting you home. She says that you have been so good to us. Now it is our turn to invite you to our house. Will you come with me today and have dinner with us?"
"That is very kind of you," said the monkey. "I would have been very happy to come. But how is it possible? I live in a tree. You live in a water. I cannot swim. I shall drown if i try to cross the river."
"Don't worry about that," said the crocodile. "I'll take you across the river quite safely on my broad back."
So the monkey jumped on the crocodile's back and they set out.In the middle of the river. the crocodile stopped. He wanted to tell the monkey why he was taking him to his house. "My wife is very sick," he told his friend. "She desires to eat your heart. If she doesn't she says she will die."
The monkey was shocked hear this. He realised that his life was danger. But he was has clever as he was brave. He thought for a while and said, "My dear friend, I wish you had told me this before i left my dwelling place; I never carry my heart with me when i go out. I leave my heart in a hole in the trunk of the rose-apple tree. Now we will have to go all the way back to get it."The foolish crocodile believed him and swiftly turned back and swam in the direction of the rose-apple tree.The moment they reached the river bank, the monkey jumped off quickly. Then he climbed up to the safety of a high branch of the tree. Once there, he called out to the crocodile and said, "You idiot, how could you ever believe that my heart is in the tree? How can I live without my heart? Now go back and tell your wife that she is married to greatest fool on earth! Ungrateful and deceitful as you are, you are unworthy to be my friend. Go away, and never show me your face again."
Story for Kids..
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