英语小故事_The_Monkey_and_The_Crocodile_猴子与鳄鱼.docVIP

Retold from the Panchatantram by Rohini Chowdhury Once there lived a monkey in a jamun tree by a river. The monkey was alone - he had no friends, no family, but he was happy and content. The jamun tree gave him plenty of sweet fruit to eat, and shade from the sun and shelter from the rain. Well, said the monkey, I dont eat fish so I wouldnt know - but I do have plenty of ripe purple jamuns in my tree. Would you like to try some? He threw some down to the crocodile. The crocodile was so hungry that he ate up all the jamuns even though crocodiles dont eat fruit. He loved the sweet tangy fruit and shyly asked whether he could have some more. Of course, replied the monkey generously, throwing down more fruit. Come back whenever you feel like more fruit, he added when the crocodile had eaten his fill. After that the crocodile would visit the monkey every day. The two animals soon became friends - they would talk and tell each other stories, and eat as much of the sweet jamuns as they wanted. The monkey would throw down all the fruit the crocodile wanted from his tree. The crocodiles wife loved the jamuns. She had never eaten anything so sweet before. Imagine, she said, how sweet would be the creature who eats these jamuns every day. The monkey has eaten these every day of his life - his flesh would be even sweeter than the fruit. She asked her husband to invite the monkey for a meal - and then we can eat him up she said happily. The crocodile was appalled - how could he eat his friend? He tried to explain to his wife that he could not possibly eat the monkey. He is my only true friend, he said. But she would not listen - she must eat the monkey. Since when do crocodiles eat fruit and spare animals? she asked. When the crocodile would not agree to eat the monkey, she pretended to fall very sick. Only a monkeys heart can cure me, she wailed to her husband. If you love me you will get your friend the monkey and let me eat his heart. The poor crocodile did not know what t