A Hungry Heart

Once upon a time, living in the waters of the Ganges river was a crocodile couple. Among the fig-trees planted in the bank of the river lived a great, mighty, and smart Monkey. The Monkey was so well-to-do and powerful that one day an urge came over the female crocodile to devour the Monkey and his precious heart. Therefore, the female crocodile pleaded with her husband that he retrieve the Monkey's heart for her. The Crocodile finally gave in to his wife's request and devised a plan on how to lure the Monkey into the Ganges river so his wife could enjoy the Monkey's heart. As the Crocodile was attempting to brainstorm a plan, he noticed that the Monkey would come to the bank of the Ganges to enjoy some refreshing water. When the Crocodile noticed this, the light bulb went off inside his head.

Therefore, on the next day, as the wise Monkey was enjoying the fresh water of the Ganges, the Crocodile drew near to him and said, "Monkey, why do you keep on eating these old and disgusting fruits when there are fresh and juicy mangoes and labujas (jackfruits) waiting for you to be eaten just on the other side of the Ganges river?"

The Monkey responded, "The Ganges is far too dangerous for me to cross it. I cannot possibly swim across this river. How should I ever be able to get to the other side?"

A huge smile was seen on the Crocodile's face as he said, "Well, I can take you there!"

Intrigued by the Crocodile's kindness, the Monkey climbed onto the Crocodile's back. However, halfway through the journey to cross the Ganges, the cunning Crocodile threw the Monkey off his back and drowned him in the ice-cold waters of the Ganges.

The Monkey was horrified at what the Crocodile was doing to him and cried out, "Why are you doing this to me?"

With a devious laugh, the Crocodile responded, "You fool! You thought I was going to bring you to the other side of the Ganges? Nonsense! I brought you to the depths of the Ganges so my dear wife can finally devour your precious heart."

The Monkey remained calm as he listened to the Crocodile's plan. Then the Monkey thinking on his feet said to the Crocodile, "Well, if your wife wants my heart, we must swim back to the bank of the river. Something as precious and valuable as my heart sits among the figs in the fig-trees."

The Crocodile was a bit confused at what the Monkey said. However, he was so desperate to fulfill his wife's desire that without thinking he said, "I will take you back to the fig-trees if you promise me your heart. In return for your heart, I will not kill you."

The Monkey nodded his head in agreement and the Crocodile brought him back to the fig-trees. The Monkey leaped off the Crocodile's scaly back and climbed to safety at the top of a fig-tree.

As the Monkey settled into branches of the fig tree, he chuckled and said to the Crocodile, "Oh how stupid you are! You actually believed that I kept my heart up here? Your stupid eagerness will never be a match for my wisdom!"

As the Monkey laughed, the Crocodile left feeling stupid and betrayed. The Monkey was extremely wise and clever, and outwitted the cunning and devious Crocodile. As the Crocodile went home, empty-handed, the wife was so desperate for a heart to eat that the Crocodile sacrificed himself and allowed his wife to eat his own precious heart.

Author's Note: The original story is about a female crocodile who conceives such a longing for the mighty Monkey's heart that she asks her husband to get it for her. At the wife's request, the Crocodile lures the Monkey into the water by tempting him that there are yummy and delicious fruits on the other side of the river. Halfway through the river, the Crocodile begins to drown the Monkey, but the Monkey asks him what he is doing and the Crocodile, unfortunately, spills his plans. The Monkey tricks the Crocodile by saying that his heart is actually in the fig-trees and that he will get his heart for the Crocodile's wife if he brings him to the fig-trees. When the Monkey is in the fig-tree and away from harm, he tells the Crocodile that he is stupid and that he ended up tricking him. The Crocodile swims away ashamed, embarrassed, and eventually dies. However, in the original story, the Crocodile does not die but instead goes back home empty-handed. The Crocodile, feeling like he just lost a jackpot, goes back to the place that he lives feeling sad and defeated. In my rendition of the story, the conclusion of the story is a bit more morbid because I wanted to show that even though the crocodile was not as intelligent as the Monkey, he had a loving and sacrificial heart for his wife.

Bibliography: "The Monkey and The Crocodile" from Eastern Stories and Legends by Marie L. Shedlock (link).

Header: Crocodile with a Gaping Mouth (link).

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