The monkey’s brain

A crocodile and her husband lived in a river that flowed by a mango grove. A wise and kind-hearted monkey too lived on a mango tree. This monkey used to pluck mangoes and throw them to the river so that the crocodile couple can have them. They had no way of thanking him for the continuous gifts. As time passed by, the crocodile got pregnant and she had a strange pregnancy craving which she disclosed to her husband.

"I have a pregnancy craving."

"What is it, tell me."

"Please do not misunderstand me. I need to eat the brain of that monkey. The one who gives us mangoes."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Can you get hold of him and bring him to our abode under the river?"

"I don't know how to set about doing it."

"It is true, I know. But this is a strange pregnancy craving. I might die out of the craving."

The crocodile had to think of a solution. He wanted to talk to the monkey. But surely the monkey will not understand what he is talking. The monkey will never come to his house either. So what am I to do in this plight? I cannot afford to lose my dear wife, and we need little ones. I will approach him from a different point of view, something else that pleases him. Thinking in this manner, the king crocodile went to see the wise monkey.

It was a sunny day.

"I need to talk to you," said the crocodile.

"You shall by all means! What is it about?"

Then said the crocodile:

"I wish to take you to the other side of the riverbank."

"Why? For what reason?"

"We have seen better mango trees growing on the other side of the river, and we have tasted them too. I can take you to the other side of the river if you please."

The monkey loved to hear these words.

"Are you sure?" Asked the monkey

"Yes there is no reason why we should hide the truth from you. You have been kind to us throughout."

The monkey went on thinking further. This crocodile has not shown any enmity to us. He had been partaking what I have given as gifts.

"So then..." said the monkey, "how am I to go to the other side? Shall I cross the wooden bridge?"

"Oh do not worry about that.

I will be your bridge, a crocodile bridge! I can take you to the other side, if you like to be on my back! You just sit comfortably and that is all that you should do. The rest I will look after."

The monkey thought that this crocodile is indeed a great creature of some integrity.

"Are you okay?" asked the crocodile.

"What else can I do?"

"All right! Jump onto my back and hold my back tightly."

The monkey jumped from the tree and stood perfectly well on the back of the crocodile like a horse rider seated on a horse's back.

"Then, here we go," said the crocodile. The monkey felt a certain sense of uncommonness and an uneasiness which he had not felt so far in his life. The monkey who was seated on the crocodile back saw that he was not crossing the river, instead gradually trying to go under the river surface, slowly dipping his body. As the monkey sensed this, he asked a question:

"Where are we going? Please tell me I do not see that you are crossing the river, instead going under the river."

"Then I must tell you the truth. You may be a wise monkey, but this is the truth. I am taking you under water to my crocodile kingdom."

"But why?"

"If you so please," said the crocodile stammering, "my wife is having a pregnancy craving to have your brain."

"Is that true? So why didn't you tell me that in the first instance?"

"Then you would not have shown any willingness to come with me."

"Why not? I would have been willing to sacrifice anything on behalf of you."

"Is that true?"

"But I must tell you honestly, if you are taking me inside the water there is a hitch!"

"What is it?" asked the crocodile.

"I want to be honest with you once and for all. I left my brains on the tree. So why not we take it back and come?" The crocodile thought this monkey is honest and truthful.

"True enough, the brains may be lying on the tree. So what am I to do now?" asked the crocodile.

"Take me back as soon as possible. I will take it and come back on to your back and be seated in the way I did now. Take me back immediately, I will see that the brains be brought to you as soon as possible." The words as uttered by the monkey were felt like soothing to the ear of the crocodile. So he took the monkey to the riverbank where he lived. As soon as the crocodile reached the bank side, the monkey jumped from the back of the crocodile saying:

"Oh my dear old croco! You wanted to cheat me for my goodness and kindness. I have now come to know of your cruelty. Tell your dear wife to eat your own brain, if you have any, as she is suffering from this strange sickness. The crocodile could not believe his ears. The monkey was laughing aloud. "This is a good lesson for all of us monkeys for being too good to fellows of your calibre, a man-eating croco." Since then the monkey and the crocodile were not good friends and they will never cross the river with the help of a crocodile.