The Monkey and the Crocodile summary

“The Monkey and the Crocodile” is a clever and engaging folk-style story that teaches important lessons about true friendship, the dangers of greed, and how intelligence can save a person in difficult situations. Set near a river in a forest, the story revolves around a kind-hearted monkey, a crocodile, and the crocodile’s greedy wife. Through simple characters and a dramatic situation, the chapter shows how trust can be broken by selfishness and how quick thinking becomes the greatest weapon in times of danger.

The story begins in a forest near a river where a monkey lives on a large jamun (blackberry) tree. The tree stands on the riverbank and grows juicy, sweet fruits. The monkey’s life is peaceful and happy. He spends his days eating the delicious jamun fruits and enjoying the cool breeze near the river. One day, a crocodile comes to that part of the river. The crocodile is tired and hungry, and he swims near the monkey’s tree. The monkey notices him and, being friendly by nature, offers the crocodile some jamun fruits. The crocodile tastes them and finds them extremely sweet and refreshing. He feels grateful to the monkey and begins to visit the tree regularly to eat jamun.

Soon, a bond of friendship develops between the monkey and the crocodile. The monkey looks forward to his visits, and the crocodile enjoys both the fruit and the monkey’s company. Every time the crocodile comes, the monkey shares the best fruits with him. The crocodile, in return, tells the monkey stories about the river, his home under the water, and his lifestyle. Their friendship becomes genuine. They laugh, talk, and trust each other. The crocodile is touched by the monkey’s kindness and begins to value him as a true companion. In this way, the chapter first highlights how friendships can form across differences when there is kindness and honesty.

As days pass, the crocodile starts taking some jamun fruits home for his wife. When the crocodile’s wife tastes the fruit, she also loves it. She asks where he gets such delicious jamuns. The crocodile happily tells her about his friend, the monkey, who lives on the jamun tree by the river. At first, the wife is pleased. But her greedy nature soon takes over. She begins to think selfishly: if the jamun fruit is so sweet, then the monkey who eats them daily must have an even sweeter heart and body. She decides that she wants to eat the monkey’s heart. Therefore, she orders her husband to bring the monkey to her so she can kill him and eat his heart.

The crocodile is shocked and disturbed. He truly likes the monkey as a friend. He tries to argue with his wife, saying that the monkey is his companion and has never harmed them. But the wife refuses to listen. She says if he does not bring the monkey’s heart, she will starve herself and die. The crocodile becomes helpless. Torn between friendship and pressure from his wife, he finally agrees to trick the monkey. This part of the story reveals the weakness of a person who cannot stand up against wrong demands and allows greed to destroy morality.

The next day, the crocodile visits the monkey and politely invites him to their home for dinner, saying his wife wishes to meet him. The monkey, trusting his friend completely, feels happy and agrees. Since the crocodile lives in the river, the only way to reach his home is by riding on the crocodile’s back. The monkey climbs onto the crocodile, and they begin to swim across the river. Midway, the crocodile’s guilt becomes too heavy. He confesses the truth to the monkey, admitting that his wife wants to eat the monkey’s heart.

The monkey is terrified, but he does not panic. Instead, he uses his intelligence. He pretends to be calm and says, “Oh, why didn’t you tell me earlier? I would have brought my heart with me. I left it on the jamun tree.” The crocodile is foolish enough to believe this. Thinking he can still get the heart, he turns back toward the tree. As soon as they reach the tree, the monkey quickly jumps onto a high branch. Now safe, he scolds the crocodile for betraying friendship. The crocodile feels ashamed and begs for forgiveness, but the monkey refuses to trust him again. He tells the crocodile to leave and never return, because a friend who can betray once cannot be relied on.

The story ends with a strong moral lesson. It shows that greed can ruin relationships and push people into betrayal. It also teaches that intelligence and presence of mind are vital during emergencies. The monkey survives not through strength but through cleverness. At the same time, the crocodile’s character teaches that a person must have courage to say “no” to wrong demands, even if it is from family. True friendship is precious and cannot exist where selfishness and betrayal take over. Thus, “The Monkey and the Crocodile” is a memorable tale of friendship, deception, and wisdom.